Rep. Eric Swalwell isn’t the only lawmaker drawing scrutiny for behavior off the House floor. Sources told The New York Post that Rep. Jimmy Gomez, a married California Democrat, was seen kissing a much younger congressional aide during a 2023 gathering.
Swalwell (D-Calif.) had grown close with Gomez and then-Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), while all three were still serving in the House, sources said. The trio became known for socializing and drinking.
As Swalwell faces multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, some Democrats say Gomez’s conduct warrants more attention.
“This behavior of open philandering by married male members of Congress is pervasive and long overdue to be addressed,” one source told The Post.
“Regardless [of whether] it is a staff member of their own or another congressman, there is a massive power dynamic that fosters a culture of abuse. You have these married male congressmen openly cheating on their wives with female staffers — how is that not grounds for expulsion?”
The alleged incident involving Gomez, now 51, occurred in the summer of 2023 outside a backyard party hosted by Swalwell to celebrate the start of the August congressional recess.
One source said Gomez and the aide, who was about two decades younger, were spotted outside near parked cars.
“She was sitting on the hood of the car and they were going at it,” the source said, noting the interaction wasn’t especially hidden. “They were down the street a little bit. But it wasn’t that discreet.”
Jimmy Gomez and his family (campaign)
A second source, who was waiting for an Uber, said the moment drew attention from others leaving the event.
“Someone pointed it out and it took me a second to recognize who it was,” the source said. “A few of us were getting out of the event and saw them, for lack of better words, making out … It was outside behind some cars.”
The aide was not on Gomez’s staff, and House ethics rules generally do not bar consensual relationships between members of Congress and staff they do not supervise.
Still, the second source said the situation was concerning because “he was married.”
A spokesperson for Gomez denied the account, calling it “not true” and saying the alleged makeout session “didn’t happen.”
The woman involved declined to provide an on-record statement when contacted.
A third source said the account had circulated among multiple Democrats, adding that several people claimed to have seen it firsthand.
“While hooking up isn’t a crime . . . these activities are a gateway drug,” the source said.
Gomez has since distanced himself from Swalwell, resigning as co-chair of his California gubernatorial campaign soon after the initial sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell were reported April 10. Gomez called those allegations “shocking” and “the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable.”
Swalwell, who represented an area just north of Silicon Valley, dropped out of the California governor’s race late Sunday and resigned from Congress on Tuesday.
The 45-year-old’s downfall followed a San Francisco Chronicle report describing how an aide accused him of sexually assaulting her twice while she was allegedly too drunk to consent. The same day, CNN reported that four women accused Swalwell of misconduct, including sending explicit messages or nude photos.
A lawyer for Swalwell said he denies “each and every” allegation.
Gallego, also part of the social circle, has not been accused of extramarital relationships with staff or any legal wrongdoing.
The fallout has fueled bipartisan calls for accountability on Capitol Hill.
Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales also resigned Tuesday rather than face an expulsion vote for having an affair with a district-based staffer who later killed herself by setting herself on fire.
Florida Republican Rep. Cory Mills is also facing an ethics investigation over an alleged affair with a 27-year-old political organizer who reported abuse by the lawmaker to D.C. police before retracting her claims.
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