The House Ethics Committee announced Monday it is investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez for allegedly “engaging in inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer.”
The investigation into the California Democrat comes as the House is poised to consider ethics overhaul legislation as soon as next month that would, among other things, ban lawmakers from having sexual relationships with all congressional aides.
The New York Post previously reported that Gomez, 51, had an intimate encounter with a House staffer.
In a statement Monday, Gomez acknowledged cheating on his wife in years past but maintained that his extramarital affairs were “consensual in nature and haven’t violated the law or House Ethics rules.”
He said he was “deeply sorry to my wife for the pain and embarrassment that I have brought into our lives” and noted that he “sought professional assistance to help re-center and heal my relationships and move forward with honesty, transparency, and respect.”
Gomez also said he respects the process of the Ethics Committee and is “confident that a full and impartial review of the facts will bear” out that he did not violate House rules or the law.
Lawmakers are currently prohibited from having a romantic relationship with any staffer “who works under the supervision of the Member,” but that excludes relationships with employees of other offices. Legislation being drafted by Reps. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) would broaden that prohibition to all staffers in the House, not just those working under the supervision of the member.
