WASHINGTON — A bipartisan pair of feminine senators are rolling out new laws to bar convicted intercourse criminals from getting taxpayer-funded annuities and retirement pay.
Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) have teamed up on the “No Taxpayer-Funded Pensions for Intercourse Criminals Act” within the aftermath of rape and sexual misconduct accusations that pressured Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) to resign final month.
“There needs to be completely no room for the tolerance of egregious intercourse crimes,” Ernst, herself a sexual assault survivor, mentioned in an announcement. “Permitting confirmed predators to proceed accumulating their pensions on the taxpayer’s dime solely serves to greenlight unacceptable habits.”
5 girls have accused Swalwell of sexual harassment or abuse, with two claiming the married 45-year-old had raped them. The Manhattan District Lawyer’s Workplace and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division are investigating these claims, whereas the Justice Division has confirmed it’s probing attainable unlawful acts by Swalwell in DC
Swalwell has denied legal wrongoing, however copped to “errors in judgment” in statements ending his California gubernatorial marketing campaign April 12 and resigning from the Home of Representatives two days later.
At present, Swalwell remains to be eligible for a congressional pension as soon as he turns 62, with estimates pegging the giveaway at greater than $22,000 yearly.
Underneath present legislation, legislators who attain 5 years of service are eligible for the profit. Swalwell was first elected to Congress in 2012.
On common, lawmakers get an annuity of about $45,276, although longer-serving members earn much more. Annual advantages for present and former lawmakers price taxpayers about $38 million.
“It’s outrageous that federal workers convicted of intercourse crimes are eligible to gather their taxpayer-funded pension,” mentioned Gillibrand, who led the push to offer unbiased prosecutors the ability to strive circumstances of sexual assault within the army, taking charging selections away from the chain of command.
“The bipartisan No Taxpayer-Funded Pensions for Intercourse Criminals Act ensures that no hard-earned taxpayer {dollars} are spent supporting legal intercourse offenders. I’m proud to assist this commonsense invoice that may present much-needed accountability.”
On the identical day Swalwell stop Congress, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) additionally stepped right down to keep away from attainable expulsion.
Disturbing textual content messages had emerged in latest months displaying Gonzales, a married father of six, urgent staffers for “horny” footage and nudes.
A kind of aides, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, died after lighting herself on fireplace in September 2025. One other staffer, Gonzales’ former political director, repeatedly rejected his sexual overtures.
In contrast to Swalwell, Gonzales isn’t eligible for a pension as a result of he didn’t hit 5 years of service in Congress.
Each males retain different perks akin to membership within the congressional gymnasium and entry to the Home ground.
Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) had beforehand launched laws to cease expelled lawmakers from accumulating taxpayer-funded pensions.
That pitch got here in response to the expulsion of mendacity Lengthy Island Rep. George Santos from the Home in 2023.
