House lawmakers express disgust over Swalwell not being exposed sooner: 'It's shameful':
Lawmakers from both parties expressed disgust and alarm that Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., has been able to hold elected office for 16 years, build a national profile — even mount...
By Fox News · Fox News
Lawmakers from both parties expressed disgust and alarm that Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., has been able to hold elected office for 16 years, build a national profile — even mount a front-running gubernatorial campaign — all the while masking the alleged sexual misconduct that forced him from office earlier this week. "There needs to be a zero-tolerance policy in the Capitol for that type of behavior," Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., said. "I’m glad that he resigned. He needed to resign. My heart breaks for any victim, all the women who have come forward thus far. And I’m horrified by his behavior." McBride’s thoughts were echoed by Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, who noted Swalwell’s conduct had crossed obvious red lines. SEX CRIMES COULD COST LAWMAKERS TAXPAYER-FUNDED PENSIONS UNDER HAWLEY’S NEW PROPOSAL "I think it's pretty clear. Don't sleep with your staff. Don't sexually harass people that work for you. And don't rape women. It's not really that hard of a list to follow," Van Duyne said. The remarks from lawmakers come as Capitol Hill grapples with how to prevent similar stories from repeating themselves down the road. Bombshell reporting from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle last week laid out accounts from multiple victims detailing how Swalwell had made sexual advances toward intoxicated women, pressured employees into intimate situations and invited them to send him explicit images over text. In their wake, Swalwell announced he would abandon his campaign to become the next governor of California on Sunday. A day later, he also announced his resignation from Congress. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, was left baffled by how Swalwell had managed to keep his conduct under wraps — despite an apparent reputation for pushing the envelope. "I don’t know — I mean it’s a shame and it’s shameful. I know folks say that there were rumors and so forth," Castro said. LEAVITT PUTS DEMOCRATS ON DEFENSE AS ‘DISGUSTING’ ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SWALWELL MOUNT At the same time, he no…