Just before embattled Rep. Eric Swalwell said Monday he is resigning, President Trump told The Washington Times that the lawmaker was a “dangerous person” to be serving in Congress.
“I view it as, you know, you have to do what’s right,” Mr. Trump said in an exclusive interview as the House Ethics Committee opened a probe of the California Democrat. “You have to do what’s fair. Swalwell has always been a very low-life type of character. He’s a basic low-life and it looks like, they’ve caught him with his hands in the cookie jar, so to speak.”
The president also said Mr. Swalwell “is a very dangerous person to have in Congress, in addition to which he obviously dated a Chinese spy.”
The lawmaker has been linked to Christine Fang, an alleged Chinese intelligence operative who targeted U.S. politicians. She raised money for Mr. Swalwell’s 2014 campaign before the FBI alerted him to their concerns.
Mr. Swalwell wrote on Monday on X: “I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”
Other lawmakers, including Reps. Cory Mills, Florida Republican; Tony Gonzales, Texas Republican; and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Florida Democrat, are also being targeted by lawmakers for potential expulsion.
Asked if he was concerned that the numerous possible expulsions could interfere with his legislative agenda, the president said Congress has “to do what’s right. That’s all you can do. You know, each individual case is different.”
Republican and Democratic lawmakers said they would vote to expel Mr. Swalwell over sexual assault claims, which are under investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
The six-term lawmaker ended his bid for California governor Sunday night after party leaders demanded he quit the race. Mr. Swalwell on Monday resigned his House seat, hours after the Ethics Committee moved against him.
Mr. Swalwell disputes the allegations.
Meanwhile, the other lawmakers could come under similar scrutiny for their own alleged misdeeds.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Florida Republican, had said she would bring up a vote to oust Mr. Swalwell this week and might pair it with a resolution to expel Mr. Gonzales.
Ms. Cherfilus-McCormick is facing a rare Ethics hearing and federal charges over using millions of dollars in disaster relief money to fund her congressional campaigns. Mr. Mills is under an Ethics Committee probe for campaign finance violations, misusing congressional office funds and claims of sexual misconduct.
