Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California has announced he will resign from Congress following multiple sexual assault allegations that prompted loud bipartisan calls for him to step down.

The decision Monday caps a swift political fall for the seven-term lawmaker, who had been seen as a frontrunner in California’s gubernatorial race before dropping out as the allegations surfaced, claims he has continued to deny.

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said on social media. “I will fight the serious false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

ORIGINAL STORY: 

The House Ethics Committee has begun an investigation into whether Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee working under his supervision, the panel announced Monday.

The announcement comes one day after Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor after the emergence of allegations that he continues to deny.

Democrats quickly abandoned support for Swalwell after allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him. The reports published in the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN came as Swalwell began to emerge as a leading contender in the crowded race.

“I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s,” Swalwell said in a social media post.

The Ethics Committee said the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.

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