WASHINGTON — Former Representative Eric Swalwell isn’t the only congressional figure under the spotlight for activities beyond legislative duties. Sources have revealed to The Post that Representative Jimmy Gomez, another member of Swalwell’s so-called “Cool Kids Clique,” was observed discreetly kissing a significantly younger congressional aide during the summer of 2023.
Swalwell, a Democrat from California, has been associated with Gomez, a fellow Californian Democrat, and Senator Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona, since their time together in the House. The trio gained a reputation for their penchant for social gatherings and drinking.
Though Gallego, a close confidant of Swalwell, faced his own share of scrutiny after multiple women accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct, insiders within Democratic circles believe Gomez’s actions also warrant closer examination.
“This kind of open philandering by married male members of Congress is rampant and long overdue for confrontation,” a source informed The Post.
“Whether the individual involved is a staff member from their own team or someone else’s, there’s a huge power imbalance that perpetuates a culture ripe for abuse. These married congressmen brazenly engage in infidelity with female staffers — how is this not a basis for expulsion?”
âRegardless [of whether] it is a staff member of their own or another congressman, there is a massive power dynamic that fosters a culture of abuse. You have these married male congressmen openly cheating on their wives with female staffers â how is that not grounds for expulsion?”
The 2023 incident involved Gomez, now 51, making out with an aide to a different House Democrat outside a backyard party hosted by Swalwell to celebrate the start of the August congressional recess.
The aide, two decades younger than Gomez, “was sitting on the hood of the car and they were going at it,â according to a source who was smoking a cigarette in front of Swalwell’s home about a mile from the Capitol.
âThey were down the street a little bit. But it wasnât that discreet.â
A second source, who was waiting for an Uber, recalled that âsomeone pointed it out and it took me a second to recognize who it was.
âA few of us were getting out of the event and saw them, for lack of better words, making out ⦠It was outside behind some cars.”
This source said he felt Gomez’s behavior was problematic because “he was married,” though congressional ethics rules generally do not bar consensual relationships between members of Congress and staff whom they do not supervise.
The congressional worker was not on Gomez’ staff.
A Gomez spokesperson said the accounts were “not true” and the makeout session “didn’t happen.”
The woman with whom the Los Angeles Democrat was allegedly involved declined to provide an on-record statement when contacted by The Post.
A third source briefed on Gomez kissing the woman said he heard the story from three or four other Democrats who claimed to see it with their own eyes.
This person said that âwhile hooking up isnât a crime . . . these activities are a gateway drug.”
Gomez has distanced himself from Swalwell, resigning as co-chair of his California gubernatorial campaign soon after the initial sexual misconduct allegations were reported April 10. Gomez called the reports âshockingâ and âthe ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable.â
Swalwell, who repped an area just north of Silicon Valley, dropped out of the California governor’s race late Sunday and resigned from Congress on Tuesday.
The 45-year-old’s stunning downfall followed a San Francisco Chronicle report describing how an aide accused him of sexually assaulting her twice while she was allegedly too drunk to consent.
The same day, CNN reported four women accused Swalwell of misconduct, including sending them explicit messages or nude photos.
A lawyer for Swalwell said he denies “each and every” allegation.
Swalwell himself has denied criminal activity, but admitted unspecified “mistakes in judgment.”
Gallego, also part of the “Cool Kids Clique,” has not been accused of extramarital relations with staff or any legal wrongdoing.
The Swalwell coverage has created bipartisan momentum for a house-cleaning at the Capitol.
Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales also resigned Tuesday rather than face an expulsion vote for having an affair with a district-based staffer who later killed herself by setting herself on fire.
Another congressman, Florida Republican Rep. Cory Mills, is facing an ethics investigation over an alleged affair with a 27-year-old political organizer who reported abuse by the lawmaker to DC police before retracting her claims.
