House Ethics Committee urges sexual misconduct victims to come forward, vows zero tolerance

The House Ethics Committee has moved to confront what looks less like a single scandal than a deeper failure in Congress’s own accountability system. In a rare public statement, the bipartisan panel said it is dedicated to maintaining a workplace free from sexual misconduct and that there should be zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, harassment or discrimination in the halls of Congress.

The committee’s message was explicit: victims of sexual misconduct by sitting House members, and anyone else with knowledge of such conduct, should come forward. The panel said that request applies even to people who are not House employees. It also said it has a long record of investigating sexual misconduct allegations involving House members and that it has publicly released its findings when allegations were substantiated.

The statement came days after the committee opened an investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., over allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including toward an employee under his supervision. The committee stressed that opening an investigation does not mean a violation occurred. Still, the timing underscored how often Congress is forced to police itself only after public pressure builds around allegations involving powerful members.

The committee also released a historical chart of publicly disclosed sexual misconduct matters involving members, stretching back to 1976. It said it has conducted 20 sexual misconduct investigations involving House members since 2017. The chart includes matters involving Swalwell, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, Cory Mills and Matt Gaetz. The committee said it was established in 1967, that the first case in its records involving a member’s misconduct related to sexual activity dates back 50 years, and that former Rep. Wayne Hays, D-Ohio, was the first member to resign before the committee completed its sexual misconduct investigation.

The panel’s new posture also comes after House lawmakers rejected a push for broader disclosure. On March 4, the House voted 357-65 to kill Rep. Nancy Mace’s effort to force public release of all congressional sexual misconduct and harassment reports. Ethics Committee leaders Michael Guest, R-Miss., and Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., argued that sweeping disclosure could chill victim cooperation, retraumatize victims and discourage witnesses. The committee has also said it does not handle harassment lawsuits or settlements, though it backed the 2018 Congressional Accountability Act Reform Act, which required automatic referrals and publication of certain reimbursement awards or settlements. Since that law took effect, the committee said it has not been notified of any such awards or settlements involving a member.

The House changed its rules after the #MeToo movement to require annual harassment and discrimination training for members, but the latest round of resignations and investigations shows those changes have not ended the institution’s problems. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the resignations an important “resetting point,” while Teresa Leger Fernández said accountability can happen when men who abuse women are held responsible. Even so, the deeper question remains whether Congress is finally building a system that protects staff and interns, or still one that shields members from full scrutiny.