The Congressional Dads Caucus was created by Gomez and several Democratic colleagues as a group focused on policies affecting fathers, children, and American families.
Now, some of its own members reportedly want a change at the top.
According to the Washington Examiner, Gomez has communicated his intention to relinquish the chairmanship to members of the caucus and has separately discussed the matter with at least one colleague.
There is disagreement, however, over precisely when Gomez decided he would leave the position.
One person familiar with the conversations said Gomez had already signaled that he planned to give up the chair before an April report alleged that the married California lawmaker was seen kissing an employee from another congressional office in 2023.
Another source offered a somewhat different timeline, saying Gomez communicated his plans to one caucus member “months” ago — but after the April story had already surfaced.
The political stakes increased considerably after Gomez was accused of sexual assault.
Gomez denies that allegation.
The House Ethics Committee subsequently announced an investigation, putting additional pressure on a congressman already facing a potentially difficult November election.
Gomez has admitted to misconduct in his marriage while rejecting allegations that he broke the law or violated congressional rules.
He described his actions as “personal mistakes outside my marriage” and has maintained that the conduct under scrutiny was “consensual in nature.”
That defense has apparently done little to eliminate concerns inside the Congressional Dads Caucus.
Rep. Johnny Olszewski’s (D-MD) office indicated that members anticipate a “transition” in the group’s leadership when it next convenes. That meeting reportedly is not expected to occur until after November’s elections.
Olszewski is reportedly among the Democrats who believe Gomez should relinquish the chairmanship for the next Congress while the ethics matter remains unsettled.
Another caucus member, speaking anonymously, reportedly reached the same conclusion.
Meanwhile, Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) has reportedly decided to leave the organization altogether because of the allegations surrounding Gomez.
The turmoil creates an awkward situation for a Democratic group whose public mission centers heavily on fathers and families.
Gomez helped launch the caucus, but questions surrounding his own conduct have now become a distraction for the organization he helped build.
And the controversy arrives at an especially inconvenient moment politically.
Gomez has represented California’s 34th Congressional District since 2017 and finished first in California’s June primary.
But winning the primary did not end his reelection fight.
California uses a top-two primary system, meaning Gomez will face another Democrat, Angela Gonzales-Torres, in the November general election.
That contest gives voters an opportunity to weigh the allegations and ethics investigation while deciding whether Gomez deserves another term in Washington.
Pressure is also coming from elsewhere inside the Democratic Party.
Leaders of the Democratic Women’s Caucus recently urged the House Ethics Committee to provide information about the investigation before entering the traditional period in which the committee restricts certain public disclosures during the 60 days immediately preceding an election.
The controversy surrounding Gomez comes during a turbulent stretch for California Democrats.
Earlier this summer, Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress and abandoned his campaign for California governor following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including sexual assault and rape, which he disputed.
Swalwell acknowledged wrongdoing of a different nature in his resignation statement, apologizing for what he characterized as “mistakes in judgment” while contesting more serious accusations against him.
His departure immediately generated calls from Republicans for authorities to continue investigating despite his resignation.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) was particularly forceful.
“However, don’t you dare say there weren’t grounds for your expulsion because there absolutely were,” Luna wrote.
She argued that leaving Congress should not bring the matter to an end.
“He made the correct decision, but there still needs to be a full-fledged criminal investigation.”
Luna then offered an even more ominous prediction about what could come next.
“Based on what I’m hearing, he may go to jail,” Luna wrote.
Gomez has not announced plans to resign from Congress, and an ethics investigation itself does not establish wrongdoing.
For now, he remains a candidate for reelection and continues to deny the most serious allegation against him.
But his expected departure from the leadership of the Congressional Dads Caucus demonstrates that the controversy is already having consequences on Capitol Hill.
What began as questions about a Democratic congressman’s private conduct has developed into an ethics investigation, internal unease among Democratic colleagues, and another political complication for a California incumbent heading into November.
Whether voters ultimately accept Gomez’s explanation — or decide that the allegations and unanswered questions warrant a change — will be determined at the ballot box.
