Five Congressmen from Texas are included in a new report released this week on sexual harassment in Congress, which has been rocked with recent sexual misconduct allegations against former U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzales of San Antonio and Eric Swalwell of California.
The report by the National Women’s Defense League, a nonpartisan sexual harassment prevention organization, found that since 2006, 49 individuals who have served in Congress have been accused of sexual misconduct — data which the organization says confirms a well-known wide-spread problem.
Founded in 2022, the National Women’s Defense League publishes an annual report on sexual misconduct in politics at the state level, and this year added the new portion on the federal legislative branch.
It came at a momentous time.
Both Gonzales and Swalwell resigned from the House last week, prompting lawmakers and constituents alike to reexamine sexual harassment among elected officials. Swalwell, who was campaigning for governor of California, was accused of sexual assault by a former staffer, as well as sexual misconduct by three other women. Swalwell repeatedly denied the allegations, but announced his resignation on X on April 13 with an apology for “mistakes in judgment I have made in my past.”
The allegations against Gonzales, of his affair with a staffer who later took her own life by setting herself on fire, were included in the report. After initially denying the affair, Gonzales admitted to it in March, saying “I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has”. Shortly after, Gonzales dropped his re-election bid and resigned on April 14.
Current Congressman Al Green of Houston was also included in the report, for an accusation of sexual assault by a former staffer in 2008. In 2017, both Green and the staffer issued a joint statement saying the issue had been “absolutely resolved.”
Former Congressman Joe Barton of Arlington, who served in the House from 1985 to 2019, was also included, for accusations from three different women in 2017 that he had sent them sexually explicit messages or had affairs with them. Barton announced in November of that year he would not seek re-election after the accusations were made and a nude photo of him was posted on social media, according to the Texas Tribune.
Former Rep. Blake Farenthold of Corpus Christi, who served from 2011 to 2018, was sued by a former staffer in 2014, according to the report, accusing Farenthold of firing her after she complained that he was telling aides he had “wet dreams” and “sexual fantasies” about her. The lawsuit was settled for $84,000 — which Farenthold paid using taxpayer money, according to Politico. Farenthold resigned in 2018 after another allegation about sexually demeaning comments prompted a House ethics investigation against him.
Former Rep. Van Taylor of Plano, who served from 2019 to 2023, was also included in the report over a reported nine-month affair with a British woman who said Taylor paid her $5,000 for her debts and personal expenses.
The report found that the majority of the targets of sexual harassment were legislative staffers, 97% of those accused were men targeting women, and approximately 60% of the accused legislators were Republicans, while 40% were Democrats. Nine of the accused members remain in office, according to the report.
On Monday, the House Committee on Ethics released a statement condemning sexual misconduct and detailing the investigations it has conducted on such matters since its establishment in 1967. However, the statement acknowledged there were likely instances of misconduct that have gone unreported.
“Unfortunately, there likely exist matters never reported to the Committee,” the statement reads. “As the Committee has repeatedly asserted to the House community, through investigative matters and other actions, it treats allegations of sexual misconduct with the utmost seriousness.”
The National Women’s Defense League report also acknowledged the likelihood that actual incidents of sexual misconduct were likely much higher than the numbers reported.
“The true scope of misconduct in Congress is likely far greater than what is documented here,” the report reads. “Government reporting mechanisms typically reflect only those cases that result in formal investigations or public exposure, leaving a substantial portion of complaints—and experiences — unaccounted for.”
