"Years ago, I made personal mistakes outside my marriage that have caused real pain to my wife and family," Rep. Jimmy Gomez, a California Democrat, told CNN
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NEED TO KNOW
- California Rep. Jimmy Gomez admitted to cheating on Tuesday, June 2, following an April New York Post report that alleged he was seen kissing a woman who is not his wife in the summer of 2023
- Gomez, who is running for reelection, was allegedly spotted “kissing a much younger congressional aide” outside a party hosted by former Rep. Eric Swalwell in Washington, D.C., that August, according to the Post report
- Gomez acknowledged he made “personal mistakes outside my marriage” in a statement to CNN
California Rep. Jimmy Gomez admitted to cheating on Tuesday, June 2, following a report that the Democratic congressman was allegedly seen kissing a woman who is not his wife during a backyard gathering in the summer of 2023.
In April, the New York Post reported that sources claimed Gomez, 51, “was spotted surreptitiously kissing a much younger congressional aide” outside a private Washington, D.C., party hosted by former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell in August 2023.
A spokesman for Gomez, who has been married to his wife, Mary Hodge, since 2011, told the outlet at the time that its reporting was “not true” and the alleged make-out session “didn't happen.”
The newspaper's reporting came shortly after Swalwell and former Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, resigned from Congress following allegations of sexual misconduct. Swalwell, then a frontrunner in California's governor's race, dropped out of the contest in April, after multiple women accused him of sexual assault.
While the House Ethics Committee was looking into the New York Post's reporting on Gomez, they discovered additional allegations of sexual misconduct against him, which the panel is now investigating, CNN reported on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Gomez did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment. The congressman said in a lengthy statement to CNN that he had made “personal mistakes outside my marriage that have caused real pain to my wife and family."
“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,” Gomez said in the statement. “I take full responsibility and have committed myself to working through the pain privately with my wife and family.”
The California Democrat said he had sought professional help to “re-center and heal the relationships that mean everything to me, and move forward with the honesty, transparency, and respect that everyone deserves from the people they love. I continue to do this work.”
Credit: ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP via Getty; Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
“I sincerely apologize to my wife, family, friends and the people that I have the privilege to serve,” Gomez continued. “My wife and I will work through our family matters privately, but I am deeply sorry for the pain and embarrassment that I brought into our lives. Her sacrifices and support are central to my ability to serve, and I can only feel gratitude for her grace and strength.”
Gomez, who is running for reelection, is one of at least two lawmakers the House Ethics Committee is investigating over allegations of sexual misconduct.
The bipartisan committee announced in May that it had opened an investigation into North Carolina Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards, after several young female staffers described alleged interactions with the congressman that made them uncomfortable.
Edwards, who is also running for reelection, has denied the allegations.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced a bipartisan task force to combat sexual misconduct in Congress last month. The new initiative is led by Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández, chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, and Kat Cammack, who chairs the Republican Women's Caucus.
“It is sickening that Congressmen sexually harassed and assaulted women staff instead of treating them with the respect they deserved. We know these women are not alone,” Leger Fernández said in a statement at the time.
"No woman — regardless of party, title, or position — should ever feel unsafe in her workplace. Period," Cammack added.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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