Rep. Jimmy Gomez accuser told House Ethics Committee he sexually assaulted her, attorneys say
Rep Jimmy Gomez Accuser Told Ethics Panel
Goldlaner.com – The Rep. Jimmy Gomez accuser told the House Committee on Ethics that her experience was sexual harassment and assault, not the consensual encounter the California congressman had described. Attorneys Lisa J. Banks and Sarah E. Nesbitt, representing a woman whose name has not been made public, delivered the rebuttal Wednesday — two days after the committee publicly confirmed it had opened a formal probe into allegations of misconduct involving the Los Angeles-area representative.
“We represent one of the women who was interviewed by the House Committee on Ethics about her experience of sexual harassment and assault by Representative Jimmy Gomez,” the lawyers stated. “Contrary to Representative 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.”
Gomez’s Earlier Framing and the Committee’s Findings So Far
On Monday, the Ethics Committee disclosed that it had launched an inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct involving the congressman, specifically citing “engaging in inappropriate sexual contact” with a staffer as a potential violation of House ethics rules. In response, Gomez acknowledged making “personal mistakes outside my marriage” while insisting his actions “were consensual in nature and haven’t violated the law or House Ethics rules.” He added that he would “cooperate with any Ethics Committee inquiry and provide it with whatever information it might need.”
The Wednesday statement directly contests that characterization for at least one woman interviewed by the panel. It remains unclear whether Gomez’s reference to a consensual relationship pertains to the same individual now describing her experience as non-consensual. Gomez did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new allegations, and a spokesperson for the Ethics Committee declined to weigh in on the attorneys’ statement.
Origins of the Probe and Its Expanding Scope
The formal investigation did not emerge from a vacuum. Three sources familiar with the matter had previously confirmed, on condition of anonymity to protect their positions, that the committee had begun early outreach in June to follow up on a story first published by The New York Post. That report alleged Gomez had been seen kissing an aide who worked for a different member of Congress, an incident said to have taken place in 2023. At the time, a Gomez spokesperson told The Post the accounts were “not true” and the incident “didn’t happen.”
As the committee pursued that initial claim, one of the sources explained, the panel encountered additional allegations of sexual misconduct against the representative, broadening the scope of what is now under active investigation. The committee stressed on Monday that the mere existence of an inquiry and its public disclosure “does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred,” a standard caveat attached to ethics probes to avoid prejudging outcomes before fact-finding concludes.
Democratic Leadership Weighs In
The top three lawmakers in House Democratic leadership — Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar — issued a joint statement Wednesday urging a rigorous and expedited review.
“The allegations of misconduct are serious and disturbing. We encourage the Committee to conduct a thorough and swift investigation.”
Their intervention signals that the matter has crossed from a routine committee inquiry into a matter of institutional concern within the party’s own ranks. For a sitting member representing parts of Los Angeles, the political stakes of a sustained ethics investigation are considerable, particularly when leadership voices publicly call for speed and depth in the review.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Rep. Jimmy Gomez accuser tell the House Ethics Committee? According to her attorneys, the woman described her experience as sexual harassment and assault and stated that the conduct was not consensual, directly contradicting Gomez’s earlier characterization of the encounter.
When did the Ethics Committee open its investigation? The committee publicly confirmed the probe on Monday, though sources indicated early outreach began as far back as June, prompted initially by a New York Post report of a 2023 incident.
What sanctions can the House Ethics Committee impose? Findings can range from no violation found to formal sanctions, which have historically included reprimands, censures, and, in rare cases, recommendations for expulsion. Most investigations conclude without a finding of violation, but the public announcement of a probe itself reshapes a member’s political environment during the fact-finding window.
Has Gomez responded to the new attorneys’ statement? As of Wednesday, Gomez had not immediately responded to requests for comment, and a committee spokesperson declined to weigh in on the statement.
