A growing number of congressmen are preparing to resign from the U.S. House of Representatives, as Ethics Committee investigations and allegations of wrongdoing mount. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) announced Monday that he will vacate his seat in the House, after abandoning his California gubernatorial bid in the face of allegations of sexual assault and rape. In a statement, the Democrat denied the “serious, false allegations” against him, but admitted that he did make “mistakes in judgment.”

Swalwell is currently under investigation by the Ethics Committee but noted that his fellow congressmen are planning to force an expulsion vote against him before the committee concludes its probe. “Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,” he said. “But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) also announced his resignation from Congress on Monday, after already retiring his reelection campaign. “There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office,” he stated. Gonzales faced pressure to end his reelection bid amidst an Ethics Committee investigation into an extramarital affair he conducted with a staffer, who later committed suicide. Another congressman facing calls for disciplinary action and potential expulsion is Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), who is currently under investigation by the Ethics Committee for alleged fraud, abuse of power, and sexual misconduct (centered on allegations of both assault and sexual extortion).

The only member of Congress facing expulsion calls who has actually been found guilty of wrongdoing is Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), who the Ethics Committee determined late last month had engaged in campaign finance violations and financial misconduct, centered on $5 million fraudulently funneled into the congresswoman’s 2022 campaign. The Ethics Committee is slated to meet next week to discuss potential disciplinary actions against Cherfilus-McCormick.

In comments to The Washington Stand, FRC Action Director Matt Carpenter said, “While I’m sure the decision by both Swalwell and Gonzales to resign,” rather than facing Ethics Committee probes, “was not without political calculus, I think overall it’s a positive sign for Congress to see leadership in both parties pressure members to resign under these circumstances because there are things more important than a career in politics.” He continued, “Unfortunately, these are not the first instances of sexual abuse allegations against members of Congress; nonetheless it’s good to see leadership in both parties insist members face these allegations in their personal capacity, not as sitting members of Congress.”

Both Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) have been reticent to embrace calls for expulsions of other House members. At present, the GOP maintains a narrow majority in the House, a margin of only two votes, and midterm elections loom large. The balanced Swalwell-Gonzales resignations still leave Republicans a slender majority, but Democrats have pledged, according to Punchbowl News, to force an expulsion vote against Republican Mills if the Ethics Committee removes Cherfilus-McCormick from office, maintaining the narrow gap between the two parties’ House makeup without expanding it in the GOP’s favor.

Carpenter observed that the serious allegations against Swalwell and Gonzales “could easily have devolved into a cynical ploy by either side to insist the other side’s embattled member step down and hope the member from their conference could weather the storm, all in the hopes of attaining a slight and temporary numerical advantage over the other party.” He added, “Thankfully, that’s not what has happened, and I think that’s a positive sign.” Carpenter further affirmed, “Being a member of Congress comes with an immense responsibility to your constituents, colleagues, and staff, and when a member falls short of that responsibility, they do a disservice to those they are supposed to serve by insisting on fighting for their political careers.”