Live updates: New Swalwell accuser speaks out; Democrats threaten to hold Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress
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Both Swalwell and embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales resigned from Congress today, pre-empting a push by their House colleagues to expel them from office.
What to know today
- NEW ACCUSER: A woman is accusing then-Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., of drugging, raping and choking her in 2018. At a press conference alongside her lawyers, Lonna Drewes said she would be filing a formal police report shortly. Swalwell resigned from Congress yesterday amid a growing backlash to the multiple sexual misconduct allegations against him.
- LAWMAKERS STEP DOWN: Both Swalwell and Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, resigned from Congress today, pre-empting a push by their House colleagues to expel them from office.
- CONGRESS RETURNS: The House and Senate are back in full swing this week as Republicans consider a two-part plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security and Senate Democrats look to force a vote on legislation to require congressional authorization for President Donald Trump's military action against Iran.
- BONDI SUBPOENA: Democrats on the House Oversight Committee will try to hold former Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress if she continues to defy a subpoena for her testimony in the panel’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Republicans on the committee called the threat "purely performative.”
Ron DeSantis says Florida’s special session on redistricting could be delayed
A redistricting effort in Florida hit a snag today when Gov. Ron DeSantis said that a special legislative session scheduled for next week may be postponed.
Republicans control every lever of power in Florida’s state government, but significant infighting between legislative leaders and the governor has bogged down major portions of DeSantis’ legislative agenda, including his effort to redraw the state’s congressional map ahead of the midterm elections.
DeSantis told reporters today that there are likely “tweaks” coming to any proposed maps, none of which have yet been filed. DeSantis did not confirm next week’s special session, which he first called for in January, would be moved, but said it would be held in the “coming weeks.”
“I haven’t made any decisions on that but the answer is it’s possible you could do a little tweak, but you can’t really push it very far,” DeSantis told reporters in Tallahassee at an unrelated bill-signing event.
Federal judge pushes back criminal trial date for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
A federal judge in Florida delayed the start of a criminal trial for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., who faces 17 counts of theft of government funds and money laundering related to allegations that she stole $5 million in federal relief funds to put toward her congressional campaign.
The two-week trial was initially scheduled to begin later this month, but due to the significant amount of discovery in the case, including more than 1 million documents handed over by the government, the judge pushed back the date. The trial will now begin on Feb. 8, 2027.
The House Ethics Committee found Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of 25 ethics charges last month following an investigation into claims that she stole millions of federal dollars to benefit her campaign. The committee, which is made up of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, found the congresswoman guilty after a three-year investigation that included reviewing over 33,000 documents and conducting 28 witness interviews.
Cherfilus-McCormick pleaded not guilty in her upcoming criminal trial and denied any wrongdoing following the committee's probe. The congresswoman could face more than 50 years in prison if convicted.
Despite calls to resign, the congresswoman has insisted on her innocence and refused to relinquish her seat in Congress. This afternoon, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said she was considering bringing forward a measure to expel Cherfilus-McCormick from Congress if she does not resign.
Todd Blanche says it was ‘horrible’ Epstein victims’ details were made public
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said today it was “horrible” and “inexcusable” that identifying details of some of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein were made public during the release of millions of files related to the criminal investigation into the sex offender.
A group of victims filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and Google last week over the disclosure of their personal information found in the files over the past several months.
“Sometimes it was genuine mistakes and that’s human, and that doesn’t make it right. I’m not excusing that, but you’re talking about less than 1% by the way, as far as we know it’s fixed,” Blanche said in an interview Tuesday with NBC News.
“It’s horrible that happened,” he said. “It’s horrible and it’s inexcusable.”
Sen. Ruben Gallego alleges Eric Swalwell ‘lied’ and ‘betrayed’ him, says he never saw inappropriate behavior
Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said today that his close friendship with Rep. Eric Swalwell obscured his judgment about rumors that the California Democrat had engaged in potentially inappropriate behavior with women over the years.
“My friendship with him, our family’s friendship together with him, clouded my judgment, and I was wrong — I deeply, deeply regret that,” Gallego told reporters at a press conference on Capitol Hill.
Gallego said he called the news conference to reject any suggestions that he was aware of Swalwell’s alleged sexual misconduct toward women. The Democratic senator, who served in the House with Swalwell for a decade, said he had “no knowledge of predatory behavior, sexual assault, or harassment” that have been alleged against the married father of three.
The senator acknowledged that he had heard for “many years” that Swalwell was “just a flirty, social guy,” but only recently asked him about the misconduct allegations after they surfaced.
NRSC chair shares polling memo on health care, housing and tax messages to court key 2026 voters
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, shared a polling memo with fellow GOP senators during a closed-door lunch meeting Tuesday that included advice on how to court voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The memo, provided to NBC News by a Republican source, highlighted messages found to be effective with swing voters (like "soft" Republicans and ticket-splitters) and low-propensity Trump voters (who are less likely to turn out in a midterm election).
The top-polling messages that appealed to both groups were "cracking down on Big Pharma" to lower drug prices and "prohibiting large corporations and investment firms from buying up residential housing and driving up costs."
The survey also found that some messages on tax breaks, focusing on take-home pay, can be effective.
The polling memo added, "Both Swing voters and Low Propensity Trump voters agree they shouldn’t be paying the bills for illegal immigrants."
The memo, first reported by Punchbowl News, provides a glimpse into how Republicans are trying to boost their chances of holding on to the Senate in an increasingly grim political environment for the party in power.
Reps. Tony Gonzales and Eric Swalwell officially resign amid misconduct claims
WASHINGTON — Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, resigned from Congress in disgrace today, pre-empting a push by their House colleagues to expel them from office.
Both lawmakers were facing unrelated House Ethics investigations into alleged sexual misconduct, in some cases with women who had worked for them, a violation of House rules. Their resignations mean that those investigations effectively come to an end, since the Ethics Committee only has jurisdiction over sitting members of Congress.
Next steps for new Swalwell accuser's legal case
A lawyer for the woman who accused Eric Swalwell of raping her in 2018 said that they would be “immediately” filing a police report with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.
As for what comes next: The accuser, Lonna Drewes, must first submit the report to the sheriff’s office, which would then open an investigation. That process typically includes conducting interviews and gathering evidence.
The sheriff’s office may forward the case for filing consideration with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. Prosecutors would then decide whether to file criminal charges or request further investigation.
Overall, the process could take days to weeks at minimum.
Todd Blanche says Americans should be ‘happy’ Trump is deeply involved in DOJ
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said today that Americans should be “happy” that Trump is deeply involved in the Justice Department.
Asked in an interview with NBC News about a communication Trump sent to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi in which he publicly implored her to indict several of his political enemies, Blanche said it was an example of the president being upfront with the American people and making his “high expectations” clear.
Woman says Eric Swalwell drugged, raped and choked her: ‘I thought I died’
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing a new sexual assault allegation from a woman who said he drugged, raped and choked her in a California hotel room in 2018.
“He raped me, and he choked me. And while he was choking me, I lost consciousness,” the woman, Lonna Drewes, said at a press conference today with her attorneys. “I thought I died.”
An attorney for Swalwell did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He has previously admitted to making “mistakes” but has called accusations of sexual assault “flat false.”
Luna threatens to proceed with expulsion measure for Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., threatened this afternoon to bring forward a measure to expel Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., from Congress.
"Sheila McCormick, we have your expulsion vote ready to be called up on the 21st. Either resign or be expelled. Those are your two options," Luna wrote on X. "So America is tracking: Sheila stole $5 million in FEMA funds."
Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty by the House Ethics Committee last month of 25 ethics charges after a probe into allegations that she stole millions in federal relief funds and funneled some of that to her congressional campaign.
Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty in a separate but related federal criminal case.
In a statement responding to Luna's threat, the congresswoman said that those calling for her resignation or expulsion "do not know, or care, about my district or the fight we are in right now." She said she doesn't plan to resign from the House.
"The allegations I am addressing are not the same as those facing some of my colleagues. Lumping them together, particularly with cases involving sexual assault and rape, is inaccurate and irresponsible," she said. "No one should be judged or punished before a formal finding. Expelling members without that standard sets a dangerous precedent."
Mark Meadows seeking reimbursement of legal fees from DOJ
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is asking the Trump administration to reimburse him for legal fees in connection with former special counsel Jack Smith's investigations, which led to two separate criminal cases against the president, a person familiar with the matter said.
George J. Terwilliger III, an attorney for Meadows, made the request earlier this year. Terwilliger did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News. It's unclear how much money he's seeking.
A recording of Trump made in connection with a memoir published under Meadows’ name played a role in the classified documents case. The indictment stated that Trump, during a July 2021 meeting with multiple individuals who did not possess security clearances, showed and described a “plan of attack” that was prepared by the Defense Department and a senior military official. Trump allegedly described it as “highly confidential” and “secret” and said he no longer had the power to declassify it.
“Now I can’t, you know, but this is still a secret,” Trump allegedly said.
Meadows also testified before a grand jury in Smith's Jan. 6 investigation, which led to charges that Trump illegally tried to overturn the 2020 election. Meadows was not charged in either of Smith's cases, which were ultimately dropped after Trump's 2024 election victory.
Trump denied any wrongdoing in both of Smith’s cases and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Meadows was charged in state cases involving the 2020 election in Georgia and Arizona, and pleaded not guilty in both cases. The Georgia case was eventually dropped, and the Arizona case is still pending.
CBS News first reported the request for legal fees.
Trump says he's 'shocked' after Italian PM called his comments about the pope 'unacceptable'
Trump is firing back after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called his comments about Pope Leo “unacceptable.”
“I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” Trump told Italian publication Corriere della Sera in a six-minute phone call. He said she’s not the same person and he hasn’t spoken to her in a long time.
The back-and-forth is notable, given the two leaders’ prior close relationship.
Asked about Meloni calling his comments “unacceptable,” Trump said: “She’s unacceptable. She’s unacceptable because she doesn’t mind that Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if they had the chance."
He also reiterated his criticisms of the pope, saying Pope Leo “doesn’t understand that Iran is a nuclear threat. He doesn’t understand it, he is not the guy that should be talking about war, because he has no idea what’s going on.”
Trump also reacted to Viktor Orban’s loss, saying: “It wasn’t my election, but he was a friend of mine. He’s a good man.”
Rep. Luna threatens to still bring her expulsion resolution if Swalwell, Gonzales don't resign by 2 p.m.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said in a post on X that she still plans to bring her expulsion resolutions to the floor for Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, if they don't resign from Congress by 2 p.m. ET today.
"If Congressman Swalwell has not resigned with the Clerk of the House by 2 PM today, I will continue my resolution regarding his expulsion. His statement about his “plan to resign his seat” is not binding and is wormy. The same goes for Tony," she wrote.
The House is set to convene at 12 p.m. ET.
Swalwell announced yesterday evening that he planned to resign from Congress after increasing pressure from lawmakers for him to leave amid sexual misconduct allegations.
The California lawmaker didn't say in his statement when he planned to resign, only saying that he would work with his staff "in the coming days to ensure they are able, in my absence, to serve the needs of the good people of the 14th congressional district."
Gonzales also announced Monday that he planned to retire from Congress as he faces a House Ethics Committee investigation into his affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. He also didn't say in his statement when he plans to step down, and he was already planning to retire in January. His office did not respond to a request for clarification.
Federal appeals court in D.C. blocks lower court judge's contempt inquiry over deportations
A federal appeals court in D.C. blocked U.S. District Judge James Boasberg from conducting a contempt inquiry into the Trump administration's efforts to deport planes full of detainees in March of last year.
This is the second time Boasberg has been blocked from trying to pursue the inquiry.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s order “is appropriate again to forestall unwarranted judicial intrusion into Executive Branch decision-making regarding matters of national security,” Judges Neomi Rao and Justin Walker wrote in the 2-to-1 decision.
“The harms of further judicial investigation cannot be remedied by a later appeal," the two judges, who were appointed by Trump, wrote in their opinion. “When the Executive alleges judicial intrusion into its deliberations, courts must recognize 'the paramount necessity of protecting the Executive Branch from vexatious litigation.'”
Boasberg needs no further information that a contempt hearing would provide, they wrote.
“The district court already possesses all the information it had represented was necessary, so further investigation is irrelevant to the only decision before the district court, that is, whether to make a referral for criminal contempt,” they wrote.
They added that any such referral "faces a dead end" because the Boasberg's temporary restraining order to halt the administration's deportations "did not clearly and specifically say anything about transferring custody of the detainees and therefore cannot support a charge of criminal contempt.”
“As these shifting and expanding proceedings demonstrate, the district court has assumed an improper jurisdiction antagonistic to the Executive Branch,” they wrote.
Judge J. Michelle Childs, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, wrote in dissent that Boasberg should be able to move forward with contempt proceedings.
“We are not reviewing a judgment of contempt made by the trial court, nor are we even reviewing a referral for a contempt prosecution," Childs wrote. "Instead, we examine an interlocutory order from a district court that, irrespective of its rulings in the underlying case, is just trying to understand the events of a single weekend in March, including the actions which may have led to the willful violation of one of its orders.”
Childs said the appeals court should not issue rulings that "question a trial court’s inherent authority to protect its courtroom and the rule of law.”
“Addressing contempt is an integral part of the trial court’s sacred mystery; it is the key to maintaining the order and safety of the court when applying the law," Childs wrote. "It is a power so essential for the rule of law that it predates our system of separation of powers and judicial review."
Democrats will try holding Pam Bondi in contempt if she continues to defy subpoena
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee will try to hold former Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress if she continues to defy a subpoena for her testimony in the panel's Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Ranking member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., noted in a statement that Bondi isn't showing up for a deposition today that was scheduled with the committee before Trump fired her as attorney general earlier this month.
"This subpoena applies to her regardless of her title," Garcia said. "She must appear before the Committee, and if she continues to ignore the law, Oversight Democrats will move forward with contempt proceedings immediately. We will fight until there is true accountability and justice."
Republicans on the Oversight Committee responded on X, calling Garcia a "hypocrite."
"The Clintons defied lawful subpoenas for 7 months and he said NOTHING," they wrote. "He even voted AGAINST holding them in contempt. Now he’s outraged over a rescheduling for a former AG? Garcia’s outrage is purely performative.”
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both testified before the committee in closed-door depositions in February.
The GOP-led committee voted 24-19 last month to authorize the subpoena for Bondi, with five Republicans voting in favor.
Legal dance continues over Trump's ballroom
The two sides in the legal fight over Trump's planned White House ballroom have drastically different interpretations of a judge's order halting construction at the site with the exception of work that's necessary for the safety of the president and staff.
In a court filing today, the administration echoed the position stated by Trump after U.S. District Judge Richard Leon issued his preliminary injunction earlier this month — that the exception for safety-related work means the entire ballroom can be built.
They suggested the judge should "clarify that under the safety-and-security exception, Defendants may proceed with construction of the East Wing project as scheduled because the entire project advances critical national-security objectives as an integrated whole."
"For example, a bunker or bomb shelter cannot serve its purpose without adequate above-ground cover," they argued.
The plaintiff in the case, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, argued in response that the administration's position is a "brazen contortion of the laws of vocabulary."
The preservation group said in a filing the administration previously argued that the bunker and underground facilities being built at the site of the former East Wing were separate from the ballroom project, and only changed that position after Leon issued his ruling.
Now, the preservation group said, "Bunkers, apparently, are only as good as the 90,000-square-foot, 40- foot-ceiling ballrooms on top of them."
While the administration has argued that halting the ballroom construction would leave the bunker exposed, the trust contended it could "solve this self-created problem by installing a simple slab — not the massive Ballroom that the Defendants want."
An appeals court paused Leon's order halting construction until at least Friday so that he can elaborate his position on the scope of the security exception.
U.S. and Iran could hold new peace talks as soon as this week, sources say
A new round of in-person talks between the United States and Iran could be held as early as this week, two people familiar with the ongoing negotiations told NBC News.
It comes after talks led by Vice President JD Vance in Pakistan over the weekend failed to reach a peace agreement to end the war. Both Vance and Trump offered hope for future talks yesterday, even as U.S. forces launched a blockade barring ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports.
Trump angered some ardent supporters with AI image appearing to depict him as Jesus
A social media backlash wasn’t enough to persuade Trump to apologize or back down from his feud with Pope Leo XIV.
But he did remove the AI-generated image he posted of himself as a Christ-like figure, after some of his most ardent Christian supporters accused him of blasphemy.
“I don’t know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy,” Megan Basham, a prominent conservative Protestant Christian writer and commentator, posted on X. “But he needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God.”
Even some in the right-wing media sphere were aghast.
One of the most prominent investors in the Trump family’s crypto company is now criticizing it
Justin Sun, among the largest investors in the Trump family’s primary crypto company, claims the company is misleading investors. It’s the most prominent instance yet of a crypto insider aligned with Trump calling out his family’s crypto dealings, which Democrats have said benefit from the president’s authority.
Sunday on X, Sun, a billionaire who is among the most recognizable figures in the crypto industry, accused the Trump group, World Liberty Financial, of setting up a system that grants company officials unilateral power over user accounts. That includes the ability to freeze them.
Rep. Tony Gonzales says he’ll retire as he faces an ethics probe and possible expulsion vote
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced yesterday that he is retiring from Congress after the House Ethics Committee launched a probe into him over a romantic relationship with a former staffer who later died by suicide.
“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” Gonzales said on X.
The congressman did not specify when he plans to step down. Gonzales had announced last month that he was dropping his re-election bid.
Trump administration fires DOJ employees ahead of first ‘weaponization’ report
The Trump administration has fired career Justice Department officials ahead of the release of a report today from the “weaponization working group,” which is expected to focus on the Biden administration’s enforcement of a law protecting abortion clinics.
One person familiar with the firings told NBC News that at least four people were dismissed. Asked about whether four employees were fired, a Justice Department spokesperson said, “DOJ has terminated the employment of personnel responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act who still remained at the department,” referring to the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. A Justice Department account also reposted a link on X saying four people were fired.
As NBC News previously reported, the report from the Trump administration was expected to single out career Justice Department employees over FACE Act enforcement. The Trump administration recently agreed to pay an antiabortion activist previously prosecuted by the Justice Department a seven-figure settlement — at least a million dollars — to end his case.
While the Trump administration is planning to attack the Biden administration over how it has prosecuted the FACE Act, their report comes as the Trump administration is using the FACE Act in historically unprecedented ways — by prosecuting anti-ICE protesters who demonstrated inside a church in Minneapolis. In that case, which involves former CNN anchor Don Lemon, Trump administration officials working within the Civil Rights Division attempted to have several defendants detained until trial.
Graham Platner launches new TV ad touting work on rape kit bill
Maine Democrat Graham Platner, a Senate candidate, is launching a new TV ad highlighting his support for a measure to track the state’s rape kits as he fends off attacks about past comments downplaying sexual assault.
The ad, first shared with NBC News, features state Rep. Valli Geiger speaking directly to the camera, noting her bill establishing a system to track all rape kits had been stalled before Platner campaigned for the legislation.
“Every year its passage was blocked, but then I told Graham Platner and the first thing he said was, ‘Valli, how can I help get this bill passed?’ He campaigned on it. We spoke to hundreds of Mainers about it. He brought in an army of volunteers to call about it, and the bill will soon become law,” Geiger says in the ad.
Geiger doesn’t mention Platner’s Senate primary opponent, Gov. Janet Mills, by name, but the measure was part of a slew of bills that Mills did not sign in 2024 due to procedural concerns.
At the time, Geiger blamed the Legislature, rather than Mills, for failing to follow proper procedures that would have made the bills subject to legal challenges, saying that the governor "shouldn’t have had to make that kind of decision. The Senate and the House failed to do the work as it’s usually done." Mills said at the time that both she and Geiger felt "strongly" about the proposal.
Mills included funding for a system to track rape kits in her budget proposal this year, and Geiger said that was thanks to pressure from Platner and his throngs of supporters.
“Maine was the only state in America that had not passed a rape kit reform bill, but Valli Geiger and activists stepped up, got to work, and called attention to an issue that should have never been ignored in the first place,” Platner said in a statement about the ad.
Platner’s latest spot comes as he faces criticism for past social media posts where he downplayed sexual assault. Mills launched multiple TV ads last month featuring his posts as she and Platner vie for support from crucial female voters ahead of the June 9 primary.
Mills’ ad spending has dwindled this week as Platner continues to blanket the airwaves, spending $6.3 million on ads to Mills’ $1.8 million so far, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.
Swalwell accuser to hold a news conference
A woman who said she has “serious sexual misconduct allegations” against Swalwell will hold a news conference today to “describe her claims,” according to her lawyers.
An advisory for the media event, set to take place at 9:30 a.m. PT in Beverly Hills, California, says her attorneys, Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali, will describe “the next legal steps.”
Eric Swalwell’s exit adds fresh uncertainty to California governor’s race
Rep. Eric Swalwell’s exit from the race for governor of California following sexual misconduct allegations has scrambled what was already a crowded and unsettled contest in the country’s biggest Democratic-led state.
Swalwell, who announced tonight that he was resigning from Congress, was one of the top-polling Democrats, alongside former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire activist Tom Steyer, in a race that has lacked a clear front-runner. Now that Swalwell has dropped out — and with ballots already printed and going out in the mail for early voting in just over three weeks — Democrats are aggressively jockeying to consolidate support ahead of a rapidly approaching top-two, all-party primary.
“The Swalwell news upends a race that was already upended. Porter and Steyer seemingly stand the most to gain, but there are a lot of undecided,” said Ted Lempert, a former Democratic assemblyman in California who teaches political science at the University of California, Berkeley.
Former Pence adviser Olivia Troye launches run for Congress as a Democrat
Olivia Troye, a former adviser to Vice President Mike Pence who left the White House in 2020 and became a vocal critic of Trump, announced today that she’s running for Congress as a Democrat.
Troye is positioning herself as “a proud Democrat” and “MAGA’s top enemy,” according to her announcement, someone who has “faced countless death threats from MAGA.”
