Woman Tells House Ethics Committee That Rep. Jimmy Gomez Sexually Assaulted Her, Attorneys Say
Key Takeaways
- •Attorneys said a woman told the House Committee on Ethics that Rep. Jimmy Gomez sexually assaulted her.
- •Gomez has denied the allegations and said his actions were consensual and did not violate House ethics rules.
- •The woman’s attorneys rejected Gomez’s account and said the conduct was not consensual with respect to their client.
- •The House Committee on Ethics reviews misconduct allegations confidentially and can recommend penalties including reprimand, fines, censure, or expulsion.
- •The article says the case is developing and does not state whether the committee has opened a formal probe.
A woman has told the House Committee on Ethics that Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) sexually assaulted her, her attorneys told CNN on Wednesday.
Gomez has been accused of inappropriate sexual conduct with a House staffer, an allegation he has denied. The congressman has acknowledged that he made "personal mistakes outside my marriage," CNN reported, and he has said his actions were consensual and that he did not violate House ethics rules.
Attorneys for one of the women accusing Gomez of sexual harassment and assault disputed that account, stating that his actions "were not 'consensual in nature' with respect to our client."
Gomez, a Democrat, has represented California's 34th Congressional District, centered on Los Angeles, since winning a 2017 special election to succeed Xavier Becerra, who left the seat to become California's attorney general. Before joining Congress, Gomez served in the California State Assembly, where he chaired the Appropriations Committee. The House Committee on Ethics is the panel charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct involving members, officers, and employees of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The committee, evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, generally conducts its reviews confidentially, and the public announcement of an investigative subcommittee is typically the first visible sign that a formal probe is underway. If the panel finds violations, it can recommend penalties ranging from a letter of reproval or a fine to censure or expulsion, with the most serious sanctions requiring a vote of the full House and expulsion needing a two-thirds majority. Such inquiries commonly take months to complete.
Sexual misconduct allegations have reached the chamber before: Rep. John Conyers of Michigan resigned in 2017 amid harassment claims from former staffers, and Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas stepped down in 2018 after a taxpayer-funded settlement with a former aide became public. The committee also has authority to dismiss allegations it finds unsubstantiated, and not every inquiry has ended a member's career.
This is a developing story.
Reporting by CNN; originally published by Raw Story.
