Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are urging the House Ethics Committee to accelerate its investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), warning that the slow pace could leave voters in the dark before the midterms.
The committee announced Monday that it is looking into claims that Gomez violated House rules by engaging in inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer. The probe, which was first reported by CNN in June, stems from a New York Post story describing an incident in 2023 in which Gomez was seen kissing a younger staffer who worked for another Democratic lawmaker.
The Democratic Women's Caucus issued a statement Wednesday demanding that the committee "release the status of their investigation, while protecting survivor privacy, before the 60-day blackout period ahead of Election Day." The caucus's chair, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), along with vice chairs Reps. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio) and Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.), said the allegations against Gomez are "disturbing and must be taken seriously." They added that "allegations of workplace sexual harassment against women must be investigated and if substantiated, met with clear and meaningful consequences."
Republican Women's Caucus Chair Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) echoed that sentiment, stating that the committee "should move with urgency, and if these allegations are substantiated, Representative Gomez must resign and any criminal conduct must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Cammack praised the accuser for "showing real courage" in coming forward, and stressed that due process "cannot be used to run out the clock."
Gomez has denied any wrongdoing, telling The Hill that his actions "were consensual in nature and haven't violated the law or House Ethics rules." But attorneys Lisa Banks and Sarah Nesbitt of Katz Banks Kumin LLP, who represent the accuser, pushed back sharply. In a joint statement Wednesday, they said their client told the Ethics Committee that Gomez sexually harassed and assaulted her. "Contrary to Representative Gomez's assertion in his statement, his actions were not 'consensual in nature' with respect to our client," the lawyers wrote. "We fully expect that the House Committee on Ethics will come to the same conclusion in its investigation."
The push for a faster timeline comes as the committee faces a sensitive political calculus in the run-up to November. Under House rules, the committee typically avoids public actions within 60 days of an election, a practice designed to prevent interference, but critics argue it can also stall accountability.
The case has drawn additional scrutiny because Gomez, a progressive Democrat from Los Angeles, sits on the powerful Ways and Means Committee and is seen as a rising figure in the party. The allegations have already sparked a war of words between the congressman and the accuser's legal team, with no resolution in sight.
Ethics experts note that the committee's investigation could take months, even with bipartisan pressure. The panel operates under strict confidentiality rules, and any public statement about the status of the probe would require a vote by its members. Whether the committee will act before the blackout period remains uncertain, but the mounting calls from women lawmakers in both parties signal that the issue is unlikely to fade quietly.
As the midterms approach, the case has become a test of how Congress handles sexual misconduct allegations, particularly when they involve a sitting member. The recent primary loss of another lawmaker amid ethics troubles underscores the political stakes, though Gomez's fate will ultimately rest with the Ethics Committee's findings and his constituents.
