Rep. Jimmy Gomez accused of sexual assault

California Democratic Representative Jimmy Gomez faces sexual assault and harassment allegations from a woman represented by attorneys Lisa J. Banks and Sarah E. Nesbitt. The accusations emerge alongside a House Ethics Committee probe launched on August 17, 2026, into Gomez's conduct. While Gomez claims his actions were consensual personal mistakes, the accuser's lawyers strongly dispute this. The scandal adds to a mounting bipartisan reckoning on Capitol Hill that has already prompted the resignations of Representatives Eric Swalwell, Tony Gonzales, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

Gomez sexual assault allegations

• ▪Attorneys Lisa J. Banks and Sarah E. Nesbitt announced that they represent a woman who accuses California Democratic Representative Jimmy Gomez of sexual assault and harassment.
• ▪Attorneys Lisa J. Banks and Sarah E. Nesbitt stated that Representative Jimmy Gomez's actions were not consensual with respect to their client, contradicting Gomez's characterization of his actions.
• ▪Representative Jimmy Gomez admitted to making personal mistakes outside of his marriage but asserted that the actions were consensual in nature and did not violate congressional ethics rules.

House Ethics Committee investigation

• ▪House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest and Representative Mark DeSaulnier stated that the committee's investigation does not indicate that any violation of congressional conduct rules has occurred.
• ▪The House Ethics Committee announced on August 17, 2026, that it was investigating whether Representative Jimmy Gomez engaged in sexual misconduct, including inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer.
• ▪The House Ethics Committee investigation into Representative Jimmy Gomez was initially triggered by a New York Post report accusing Gomez of kissing a female congressional aide in 2023.

Congressional sexual misconduct pattern

• ▪The House Ethics Committee is reviewing a local police response to a report that Florida Republican Representative Cory Mills assaulted a woman with whom he was in a relationship.
• ▪The House Ethics Committee released a report in August 2026 concluding that North Carolina Republican Representative Chuck Edwards targeted two female staffers with behavior that observers would interpret as romantic or sexual.
• ▪Ohio Republican Representative Max Miller requested that the House Ethics Committee investigate domestic abuse allegations levied against him by his ex-wife, who is the daughter of Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno.

Bipartisan lawmaker resignations

• ▪Florida Democratic Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress in 2026 amid an ethics investigation and a criminal indictment alleging she stole $5 million in federal disaster relief.
• ▪California Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress in April 2026 amid multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, which Swalwell denied.
• ▪Texas Republican Representative Tony Gonzales resigned from Congress in April 2026 after admitting to an extramarital affair with a staffer who died by self-immolation after the relationship ended.

Capitol Hill harassment task force

• ▪The bipartisan Capitol Hill task force on sexual harassment is headed by Republican Representative Kat Cammack and Democratic Representative Teresa Leger Fernández.
• ▪House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries launched a bipartisan task force in May 2026 to address sexual harassment and misconduct on Capitol Hill.

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