A woman has accused Democratic United States Representative Jimmy Gomez of sexual harassment and assault, escalating an ethics investigation into the California congressman days after he acknowledged making “personal mistakes” outside his marriage but maintained that his conduct was consensual.
The woman, whose identity has not been made public, told the House Committee on Ethics about her allegations against Gomez, according to her attorneys, Lisa J. Banks and Sarah E. Nesbitt.
Her lawyers said Gomez’s conduct toward their client was not consensual, directly challenging the congressman’s account of the circumstances surrounding allegations now being examined by congressional investigators.
The development follows the House Ethics Committee’s announcement on Monday, August 17, that it was formally reviewing allegations that Gomez may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including “inappropriate sexual contact” with a House staff member.
The committee’s official statement confirms that investigators are examining whether Gomez violated the House Code of Official Conduct or other applicable standards. It also stressed that opening an investigation does not establish that Gomez committed any violation.
Gomez, a Democrat representing parts of Los Angeles, responded to the investigation by acknowledging what he described as personal mistakes outside his marriage
However, he maintained that his actions were consensual and said he had not violated the law or House ethics rules. He also pledged to cooperate with the committee and provide investigators with requested information.
The unnamed woman’s attorneys have now disputed that characterization.
They said their client was interviewed by the Ethics Committee about what she described as sexual harassment and assault by Gomez and maintained that, in her case, his actions were not consensual.
The allegation remains unproven, and the committee has not announced any findings against Gomez. CNN also said it had not independently corroborated the woman’s allegations.
It is also unclear whether Gomez’s earlier acknowledgement of a consensual relationship referred to the same woman represented by Banks and Nesbitt.
The Ethics Committee declined to comment on the attorneys’ statement, while Gomez had not provided a new response to the specific allegation at the time of the CNN report.
The congressional investigation appears to have expanded from earlier scrutiny surrounding a separate allegation.
It was previously reported that the committee had been examining claims arising from a report that Gomez was seen kissing an aide who worked for another member of Congress in 2023. A spokesperson for Gomez denied that account at the time.
According to a report, investigators subsequently learned of additional allegations of sexual misconduct while looking into the original claim.
