Woman tells House Ethics Committee Rep. Jimmy Gomez harassed and assaulted her, California Dem says he made ‘personal mistakes outside my marriage’
A woman interviewed by the House Ethics Committee has accused Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez of harassing and assaulting her, according to her attorneys, directly challenging the California congressman’s assertion that their relationship was consensual.
Ethics Committee investigates Jimmy Gomez
The Ethics Committee announced that it had opened an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving Gomez, including claims he engaged in “inappropriate sexual contact” with a staffer, potentially violating House ethics rules.
Gomez acknowledged that he made “personal mistakes outside my marriage” but maintained that his actions “were consensual in nature and haven’t violated the law or House Ethics rules.”
Attorneys Lisa J. Banks and Sarah E. Nesbitt said their client told the committee that Gomez’s actions toward her were not consensual.
“We represent one of the women who was interviewed by the House Committee on Ethics about her experience of sexual harassment and assault by Rep. Jimmy Gomez,” the attorneys said in a statement. “Contrary to Rep. Gomez’s assertion in his statement, his actions were not ‘consensual in nature’ with respect to our client. We fully expect that the House Committee on Ethics will come to the same conclusion in its investigation.”
Silent about the allegations
Gomez did not immediately respond to the attorneys’ allegations, which CNN said it had not independently corroborated. It is also unclear whether the consensual relationship Gomez referenced in his earlier statement involved the same woman.
The committee’s announcement followed CNN reporting in June that the panel was investigating Gomez, who represents parts of Los Angeles.
Sources said the committee had begun looking into a New York Post report alleging Gomez was seen kissing an aide who worked for another member of Congress in 2023. A Gomez spokesperson previously said the accounts were “not true” and the incident “didn’t happen.”
During its examination of that allegation, the committee learned of additional misconduct allegations against Gomez, according to CNN.
‘Serious and disturbing’ allegations
House Democratic leaders Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar responded to news of the investigation.
“The allegations of misconduct are serious and disturbing. We encourage the committee to conduct a thorough and swift investigation,” they said in a joint statement.
Gomez has said he would “cooperate with any Ethics Committee inquiry and provide it with whatever information it might need.”
The committee emphasized that opening and publicly disclosing an investigation “does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.”