By Staff Reporter |
Rep. Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) formalized the resignation of now-former California congressman Eric Swalwell on Tuesday.
Hamadeh acted in accordance with a provision of the House Rules requiring the Speaker or his designee to announce the House membership adjustment on the floor.
Since the initial sexual assault allegations against Swalwell broke last week, at least five other women have come forward claiming wrongdoing by Swalwell ranging from sexual harassment to rape.
Arizona politico Brian Anderson remarked on the difference between Arizona members’ circumstance in relation to the Swalwell fallout: Hamadeh stepping in for the House Speaker to finalize Swalwell’s rushed exit, and Sen. Ruben Gallego defending himself against accusations of his knowledge or participation in Swalwell’s impropriety.
“Pretty shocking split-screen for Arizonans right now,” said Anderson. “On one side, Ruben Gallego shaking and stuttering, defending himself against credible allegations he knew about Swalwell. On the other, Abraham Hamadeh putting the final nail in Swalwell’s career.”
Gallego’s decade-long friendship with Swalwell has put him in the center of the former California gubernatorial candidate’s fallout.
Social media users and influencers have speculated that the mystery man in a now-viral video depicting Swalwell getting intimate with a young woman on a bed was Gallego.
During a Monday press gaggle, Gallego denied that he was the man in the video. He blamed “right-wing, political operatives” for the popularization of the narrative.
“This is an example of the lies. No, I was not sitting next to him, I was not in the room, I don’t even know where it happened,” said Gallego.
Gallego said he, too, was a victim of Swalwell. He claimed innocence of knowledge, saying Swalwell had led a “double life” and lied to him about the allegations.
“Look, I messed up. I’m human. I trusted this man, I trusted him to watch my children. I would watch his children,” said Gallego. “He knew that I had just gone through the most bruising campaign, where I was accused of being a mule for the cartel, where my kids were subjected to TV commercials about what an awful human being I was; he knew how to prey on that. I was a loyal friend to someone that was just not loyal to me.”
However, Gallego also indicated that he knew of rumors of his former friend’s flirtatiousness over the years, but had dismissed them based on his personal interactions with Swalwell and Swalwell’s wife.
“I heard rumors of him being flirty [for years],” said Gallego. “We all heard rumors in Washington, D.C.”
Gallego said he had never engaged in inappropriate behavior with any woman outside of his marriage. He claimed Swalwell lied to him and manipulated him.
Former New York congressman George Santos accused Gallego of being one of a number of U.S. House and Senate members to engage in sexual romps up the hill. Santos alleged Gallego’s behavior was “the worst-kept secret” at the Capitol.
“There is an AZ senator that needs to be looked into ASAP,” said Santos in another post. “The rumors about him have alway[s] been WILD.”
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