Capitol Hill sex scandals trigger new push to redraw the line for lawmakers

Efforts to bar lawmakers from dating congressional staff are gaining momentum following multiple high-profile cases of alleged sexual misconduct on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., introduced legislation on Tuesday that would bar members of the House of Representatives from having sexual relationships with any congressional staffers unless the House Ethics Committee determines the contact does not constitute a conflict of interest. The proposal follows a number of sexual controversies facing lawmakers such as former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., former Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., and Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.

A Gallego spokesperson told Fox News Digital the lawmaker supports the House bill and hopes to see Republicans who engage in relationships with staffers held accountable. 

Members of Congress are already prohibited from dating their personal employees or staff serving on their committees. Crank’s proposal would expand that prohibition to all congressional staff pending approval from the ethics committee.

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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled that he is on board with the movement.

"I think it's inappropriate, as it would be in any workplace," Johnson told Axios on Tuesday when asked for his thoughts on relationships between representatives and staffers. "We should, at a bare minimum in Congress, have, you know, rules and traditions that are adhered to in corporate America, so that's an easy one for me."

During a press conference that same day, he endorsed establishing a new rule proposed by Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., that would ban members from having sex with any congressional staffers.

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"Even if a relationship is consensual, there is an inherent power imbalance that can undermine trust and create an appearance of impropriety," McClain wrote on social media. "The goal should be protecting staff and maintaining confidence in the institution."

The push among Republicans to impose new rules on workplace relationships came after the New York Post reported that Gallego had allegedly engaged in consensual sexual relationships with at least two House staffers employed by other Democratic lawmakers while he served in the House.

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While the senator did not deny the allegations, he stated that he would not "engage in gossip." Gallego’s alleged sexual relationships with staff occurred before he was married. 

Focus on this issue intensified in April when multiple women accused Swalwell, a longtime friend of Gallego, of unwanted sexual contact, including rape. Swalwell, who maintained his innocence but apologized for unspecified "mistakes in judgment," suspended his campaign for California governor and resigned from Congress after his accusers went public.

Gonzales, meanwhile, resigned from Congress in April after admitting to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. Gonzales denied that the affair contributed to her death.