Democrat Says Extramarital ‘Mistakes' Did Not Violate House Ethics Rules

California Democratic Congressman Jimmy Gomez said Tuesday that he would cooperate fully with a House Ethics Committee investigation, reportedly started over allegations of sexual misconduct.

The investigation would be the latest in a flurry of inquiries into serving members of Congress in recent months, with some choosing to vacate their seats. Other representatives, including three female Republicans, have vowed to root out other alleged abuse.

Gomez, who chairs the Congressional Dads Caucus, was allegedly seen kissing the aide of another member of Congress in 2023, per the New York Post, with the committee finding other potential incidents it needed to investigate, CNN reported Tuesday.

Gomez said in a statement shared with CNN that he had made mistakes that had harmed his family, but he believed he had not broken any House rules or the law.

Newsweek reached out to Gomez’s office for further comment via email Tuesday afternoon. The House Ethics Committee declined to comment.

What Is Jimmy Gomez Accused Of?

Allegations over Gomez’s conduct first emerged in an April 18 article from the Post, which said the married representative had been caught kissing a much younger aide, who worked for a colleague, during summer 2023.

At the time, the outlet said, Gomez was close friends with Eric Swalwell, who resigned from Congress over his own misconduct allegations in April, and Senator Ruben Gallego, who also faced a series of allegations he denied. The alleged 2023 incident occurred at a party hosted by Swalwell, the Post said.

At the time of the article, Gomez denied the allegations. In his statement Tuesday, he said he had made mistakes.

"Years ago, I made personal mistakes outside my marriage that have caused real pain to my wife and family. 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," Gomez told CNN.

"I take full responsibility and have committed myself to working through the pain privately with my wife and family.”

Gomez said he sought professional assistance to help heal relationships that mean everything to him, adding that he wanted to move forward with “honesty, transparency and respect.”

"I sincerely apologize to my wife, family, friends and the people that I have the privilege to serve,” Gomez said. “My wife and I will work through our family matters privately, but I am deeply sorry for the pain and embarrassment that I brought into our lives. Her sacrifices and support are central to my ability to serve, and I can only feel gratitude for her grace and strength."

Ethics Committee’s Misconduct Investigations

On April 13, both Representative Swalwell, also a California Democrat, and Representative Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, announced they would step down amid sexual misconduct allegations and the growing prospect of expulsion votes.

A few days later, the Ethics Committee released a list of 28 investigations into members of Congress over several decades.

The bipartisan committee said it was “dedicated to maintaining a congressional workplace free from sexual misconduct” as it released the list of cases, some of which ended in members losing their seats, while other cases were never resolved because a member left the House.

The committee reiterated then that it takes allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and that even if evidence does not meet the legal threshold for a criminal case, conduct can still violate the Code of Official Conduct, which places higher standards on members of the House.

The statement said there remained a hurdle to further investigations: the willingness of victims to come forward and share their testimony. The committee affirmed that it does not publish interview transcripts or share the sources of allegations against lawmakers.

“The Committee will continue to prioritize witness confidentiality and safety, so that those witnesses feel comfortable coming forward and providing the Committee the opportunity to hold wrongdoers accountable,” the statement read. “Where the Committee finds evidence of sexual misconduct, it will continue to publicly release its findings and seek appropriate sanctions.”

What Happens Next

A formal announcement from the Ethics Committee was pending Tuesday.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 2:24 PM.