The House Ethics Committee announced on Monday that it is investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., over allegations of sexual misconduct, including “engaging in inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer,” according to the committee’s statement. The investigation marks the latest in a series of ethics probes into congressional members this year.
Gomez, a five-term congressman from Los Angeles, acknowledged in a statement that he had “made personal mistakes outside my marriage” but denied violating House ethics rules or the law. “Although my actions were consensual in nature and haven’t violated the law or House Ethics rules, that doesn’t diminish the impact that these mistakes have made on those I care about the most,” he said, adding that he would cooperate fully with the investigation.
The New York Post first reported in April 2026 that Gomez had been seen kissing a much younger congressional aide at a party in 2023. The woman worked as a staffer for another Democratic congressman. After the Post’s reporting, Gomez acknowledged his infidelity in June, saying he was “deeply sorry to my wife for the pain and embarrassment that I have brought into our lives.”
The House Ethics Committee has been investigating a wave of sexual misconduct allegations against members in 2026. Earlier this month, the panel recommended that the full House censure Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., after finding he “engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers,” according to NBC News. Edwards subsequently announced he was dropping his re-election bid.
The committee is also investigating allegations against Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, over claims of “domestic violence and abuse or illegal drug use”; Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., over allegations of “sexual misconduct and/or dating violence” and campaign finance violations; and others. Two other lawmakers—Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas—resigned from their seats earlier this year amid ethics investigations, with Swalwell denying sexual assault allegations but acknowledging “mistakes in judgment,” and Gonzales acknowledging an affair with an aide.
According to the House Ethics Committee, it has conducted 20 investigations into sexual misconduct by members of Congress since 2017, with 28 instances in total over the past 50 years. The committee’s chairman, Michael Guest, R-Miss., and ranking member, Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., said in their statement that “the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.”
House ethics rules prohibit members from having sexual relations with their own staffers and bar “unwelcome sexual advances or conduct” involving other House staffers. The committee did not specify a timeline for completing its investigation into Gomez, and he said he would not comment further while the review is underway.
Sources
- NBC News — House Ethics Committee’s announcement and Gomez’s statement; context on other 2026 ethics investigations including Edwards, Miller, Gonzales, and Swalwell.
- House Ethics Committee — Official statement on the investigation into Gomez and his alleged violations of the Code of Official Conduct.
- The New York Post — Initial reporting in April 2026 of the incident involving Gomez and a congressional aide in 2023.
- The Hill — Data on the 20 sexual misconduct investigations conducted by the House Ethics Committee since 2017.
