A woman accused Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) of sexual assault as the California Democrat becomes the latest member of Congress to become embroiled in personal scandals.
The woman is cooperating with the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Gomez, according to her lawyers, Lisa Banks and Sarah Nesbitt. The committee announced an investigation into whether Gomez is guilty of sexual misconduct, including with a House staffer, on Monday.
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The two attorneys on Wednesday released a statement rebutting Gomez’s claims that “personal mistakes outside” his marriage were “consensual in nature.” The lawyers said their client spoke to the committee about “her experience of sexual harassment and assault by Representative Jimmy Gomez.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) released a message calling the allegations “serious and disturbing.”
“We encourage the Committee to conduct a thorough and swift investigation,” he said in a leadership statement to Politico.
The development comes as members of Congress have been hit with a wave of sexual and other personal controversies.
Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, were forced to resign from the House earlier this year after accusations of rape and inappropriate relationships with staffers, respectively. Gomez was a close friend of Swalwell, serving as his campaign co-chairman.
Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) on Tuesday lost his primary bid for reelection as he faced a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations.
As he runs for reelection, Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) is being besieged with allegations from his ex-wife that he is a domestic abuser, which he vehemently denies.
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Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) was recently hit with a report from the Ethics Committee finding that the lawmaker engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers.”
Former Florida Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned after an ethics panel found her guilty of 25 violations as she faced charges for stealing Federal Emergency Management Agency funds.
