A sexual assault accusation has been leveled against Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., by one of the women interviewed by the House Ethics Committee as part of its investigation into the congressman's conduct. The woman's lawyers stated that Gomez's actions were not consensual, countering his previous assertion that the encounter was "consensual in nature."
In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, the lawyers said, "Contrary to Representative Gomez’s assertion in his statement, his actions were not ‘consensual in nature’ with respect to our client." They added that they "fully expect that the House Committee on Ethics will come to the same conclusion in its investigation."
Gomez had previously admitted to making "mistakes outside [his] marriage" after the House's internal watchdog announced it was probing him for misconduct. He stated on Monday, "Although my actions were consensual in nature and haven’t violated the law or House Ethics rules, that doesn’t diminish the impact that these mistakes have made on those I care about the most."
The woman's legal team described the situation as "just the latest example of brazen sexual misconduct by a member of Congress." They called for accountability, stating, "Congress must act to rein in its members who seem to believe that preying on young women working on Capitol Hill is one of the perks of their job. We will continue to work with our client and with the House Committee on Ethics to ensure there is accountability for Representative Gomez and a safe path for any other survivors to come forward and share their experiences."
Gomez's case follows other recent instances of House lawmakers facing scrutiny over relationships with congressional staff. Former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., saw his gubernatorial campaign affected by allegations of rape. Reps. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., both withdrew from their re-election bids amid backlash from sexual harassment accusations.