Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., pushed back Friday on claims of a "culture of silence" in Congress surrounding sexual misconduct allegations, telling Newsmax that he has not seen evidence of lawmakers ignoring such behavior and emphasized that recent cases show accountability is taking place.
"When these allegations were raised, there was accountability," Smith told "American Agenda." "We have the House Ethics Committee doing the investigations.
"Both members of Congress have resigned, and in [former California Rep.] Eric Swalwell's case, there's a possibility of criminal charges which are being pursued. That absolutely should happen."
Smith was responding to comments from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who has suggested there is a broader problem in Congress of members staying quiet about misconduct. The Washington Democrat flatly rejected that characterization.
"No," Smith said when asked if a culture of silence exists.
He added that he hadn't heard evidence supporting claims that allegations regarding Swalwell were widely known before becoming public.
"Nobody I know had any awareness whatsoever that Eric Swalwell had sexually assaulted anyone or had sexually harassed his staff. Never heard any such thing," Smith said.
Swalwell, a Democrat, recently resigned from Congress following allegations of sexual harassment and assault, and reports indicate he could face criminal charges. Former Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican, also resigned amid misconduct allegations, with both cases now under review by the House Ethics Committee.
Smith drew a distinction between rumors about lawmakers' personal lives and accusations of workplace misconduct or criminal behavior.
"I think part of the problem here is we are sort of mixing two issues," Smith said.
"One is, are there rumors about members who are, for lack of a better way to put it, cheating on their spouse? Sure, there's rumors about that," he continued, adding, "That's not actually a crime."
By contrast, he said, allegations involving harassment or assault are treated differently and are subject to formal scrutiny.
"Here, we had evidence of sexual assault, evidence that Eric Swalwell [was] sexually harassing, and the Ethics Committee is on it," Smith said. "It is very public. He's being held accountable, and he should be held accountable."
Smith also rejected the idea that Swalwell's alleged conduct was an "open secret" within Democrat circles.
"I don't agree that this was like this widespread, well-known thing," he said. "There's nothing that I heard about him sexually assaulting anybody or sexually harassing his staff."
Meanwhile, separate allegations have begun to emerge involving Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., though details remain limited, and no formal findings have been announced.
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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