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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 21, 2026

NWDL’s New Reports Show Sexual Harassment Rampant in Congress & Statehouses

Lawmakers and advocates across the country call for action to keep #MeToo momentum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–The National Women’s Defense League (NWDL) today released two reports documenting sexual harassment and misconduct by elected officials—naming 162 state lawmakers with 424 accusations since 2013, and 30 members of Congress over the last twenty years, warning that actual incidents are likely at least three times higher.

Together, the reports show that public accusations in state government have returned to pre‑#MeToo reporting levels, even as harassment remains widespread and dramatically underreported—and that similar systemic failures persist at the federal level.

Exemplifying just that, and mere days before the release of the reports, now-former Reps. Eric Swalwell (D) and Tony Gonzales (R) resigned from Congress following accusations of sexual harassment, Rep. Cory Mills (R) started facing calls for expulsion for sexual misconduct allegations, the House of Representatives released a rare statement calling on survivors to come forward, and Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer stepped down as she’s investigated for misconduct.

“It’s hard to overstate how much sexual misconduct by elected officials is shaping our country right now,” said Emma Davidson Tribbs, Founding Director of the National Women’s Defense League. “Sexual harassment and abuse by men in positions of elected power is a problem for both parties, and it’s overwhelmingly targeted at women: women staffers, women in office and women working in statehouses and Congress. And there is little to no accountability–only 40% of those accused resign and many remain in office.”

NWDL released the reports alongside lawmakers and advocates from across the country who have been working to advance reforms to prevent sexual harassment and protect survivors including Tennessee State Rep. Afton Behn (D), Pennsylvania State Rep. Abby Major (R) and advocates who have taken on sexual harassers in office in New York, Nebraska and Indiana.

Together, they called not just for policy change, but sustained momentum for the #MeToo movement, making it clear that resignations are not the end.

“Let’s be clear: The #MeToo movement didn’t go away,” said Sarah Higginbotham, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the National Women’s Defense League. “But every accusation in these reports shows that the burden of coming forward, holding the powerful accountable, and demanding policies that will prevent sexual harassment and abuse still falls on survivors. It’s high time elected leaders of both parties come out of the whisper networks to show actual leadership and do their part.”

LAWMAKERS AND ADVOCATES WEIGH IN

  • Julie McCluskie, Colorado Speaker of the House (D): “Colorado has worked deliberately to strengthen protections within the legislature and ensure that misconduct is addressed transparently and responsibly. Building a workplace rooted in respect and accountability is essential for both legislators and staff — and for maintaining public trust in democratic institutions.”

  • Aftyn Behn, Tennessee State Representative (D): Old school sexism is absolutely back, and it's lost a lot of political cover. If we continue down this road without consequences, we are telling victims that the halls of power that were intended to protect them and others are compromised. The reporting process is incestuous. It is enmeshed, and it is unsafe for victims, and that is why staff often come to my office, not because I’m special, but because my office feels like the only room where someone might actually believe them.

  • Abby Major, Pennsylvania Representative (R), Survivor, NWDL Advisory Council Member: “Sexual harassment in state government is not a partisan issue — it’s a human one. Our responsibility is to ensure safety, fairness, and accountability, regardless of party or position.”

  • Megan Hunt, Nebraska State Senator (D): “Sexual harassment in state government isn’t hypothetical — it affects real people, careers, and families. Policies are only meaningful if people trust the system to use them and leaders respond with seriousness and fairness.”

  • Jen Day, Former Nebraska State Senator; Political Director at Women’s Fund of Omaha: “Sexual harassment within legislative bodies not only fosters unsafe work environments but also limits women’s advancement in government and discourages broader public participation in policymaking. When women and other underrepresented people face harassment, they’re pushed out of leadership pipelines — that loss is not just personal, it’s civic and generational.”

  • Erica Vladimer, Survivor, Founding Director of Harassment Free New York: “The progress Harassment-Free NY made didn’t come from headlines alone, though sharing our stories publicly was integral to our work. More importantly, our success comes from knowing that this work is a movement, not a moment. It comes from persistent organizing, survivor leadership, and constantly working alongside supportive lawmakers, advocates, and experts to pass meaningful reforms.”

  • Elise Shrock, Principal at Shrock & Associates, Indiana: “When misconduct happens, there is rarely a truly safe place to go. The vast majority of survivors I work with choose to leave. These are incredibly talented people we’ve lost because our leaders and systems lacked courage.”

TOP FINDINGS:

State Legislative Data: Abuse of Power: Uncovering Sexual Harassment in State Government (2013-2025)

  • 162 state officials publicly accused and at least 424 distinct incidents since 2013

  • Political split is roughly even (52% Republican / 48% Democratic); ~93% of accused officials are men.

  • In 2025 states enacted five new laws addressing harassment in political workplaces (Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Ohio, Washington), but gaps remain in independent, survivor‑centered systems.

Congressional Data:Abuse of Power: Sexual Harassment in Congress (2006–present)

  • At least 30 members from 13 states and Guam have faced public workplace sexual harassment allegations, totaling at least 53 workplace accusations.

  • Including misconduct outside the workplace and pre‑service incidents, 49 members have been publicly accused, comprising 137 accusations overall.

  • The majority of workplace allegations involve legislative staffers (77%), reflecting acute power imbalances and vulnerability.

  • Party breakdown among accused members: ~60% Republican / 40% Democratic.

Policy change in 2025: The report details that just five bills crossed the finish line in 2025 that would address sexual harassment for serving state lawmakers. Those bills passed in Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Ohio, and Washington.

Accused lawmakers running in 2026: Due to limited transparency there’s not often accountability at the ballot box: 23 lawmakers with public accusations are running for reelection in 2026 in 16 states including 9 people running for Congress. NWDL’s research shows that 80% get reelected. NWDL wants to change that.

Policy recommendations: NWDL calls on state legislatures and Congress to adopt statutory, survivor‑centered reforms that include:

  • Independent, third‑party investigations and evaluation;

  • Trauma‑informed reporting processes and anti‑retaliation protections;

  • Transparency that protects survivor anonymity while ensuring public accountability;

  • Codification of standards into law to reduce conflicts of interest.

Underreporting: NWDL’s analysis shows that underreporting is a major driver of the apparent decline in public accusations

  • Only one in five legislators who experience harassment report it formally

  • Survivors cite lack of trust in systems, fear of retaliation, and insufficient protections

  • Most state legislatures still do not systematically track harassment prevalence or assess reporting and investigation processes

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ABOUT NATIONAL WOMEN’S DEFENSE LEAGUE

National Women’s Defense League (NWDL) is a national nonpartisan organization dedicated to preventing sexual harassment and protecting survivors through research, advocacy, and survivor support. We are a coalition of advocates, political and legislative staff, lobbyists, policymakers, and survivors from across the country working toward a future where everyone is respected in the workplace and where sexual harassment is not tolerated

  • Sexual abuse and misconduct by Swalwell and Gonzales are just the tip of the iceberg

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–In recent days, thanks to the bravery of survivors and their allies, multiple allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct involving members of Congress have resulted in the resignations of two sitting Congressmen, Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-15) and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales (TX-23), along with the end of their 2026 campaigns. 

    The National Women’s Defense League stands with the survivors of abuse by Swalwell and Gonzales–those that have come forward to share their stories and those that have not.Survivors face great risk in coming forward and our research documents the intense threats and intimidation that exacerbate those risks. We recognize the courage it takes to come forward and we are grateful to the survivors who have shared their stories, including Ally Sammarco, Annika Albrecht and Lonna Drewes, as well as others who have not been named publicly. 

    At least seven survivors have now come forward publicly against both Swalwell and Gonzales, with others remaining unnamed. Research indicates actual incidents to be likely three times as much due to underreporting. 

    We stand with the leadership and voices of allies and advocates who have supported these survivors, also at great risk, including Arielle Fodor and Cheyenne Hunt, and the persistence of journalists and newsrooms who worked to get their stories out. 

    We commend the members of Congress who have publicly condemned the abuse and stood in solidarity with survivors by calling on Congress to expel Swalwell and Gonzales, and we acknowledge the members of Congress who have already taken meaningful action in Congress to prevent sexual abuse and harassment and to protect survivors.

    Let’s be clear: resignation is not the end. While criminal investigations and potential civil actions are ahead, without the passage of policy reforms, the problems will persist. These resignations are significant developments, and those in Congress that helped catalyze this accountability deserve much praise, but these actions do not, on their own, address the systemic failures that allowed this misconduct to persist. Survivors have risked everything to come forward; our response must match that courage with sustained advocacy for structural reforms. 

    Congress needs stronger policies codified in law and informed by survivor experiences including policies that: help eradicate conflicts of interest and politics from investigations and accountability; increase public transparency while respecting survivor anonymity; include trauma-informed processes that empower survivors and others to come forward while protecting them from retaliation. NWDL has worked across the country with state lawmakers on reforms for their statehouses, and we look forward to expanding our efforts to Congress in 2026. 

    In one week, we’ll be releasing our updated Abuse of Power report that names the sitting state lawmakers accused of sexual harassment since 2013.  For the first time ever, we will also be releasing the same for Congress. Our research to date confirms what so many working in government and politics already know: sexual harassment in statehouses and Congress is widespread and underreported.  In our 2024 national survey of state lawmakers, 1 in 3 legislators had witnessed or experienced sexual harassment.

    This is why we started National Women’s Defense League. We are advocating for meaningful policy reform across the country and in Congress that will create real protection from workplace sexual harassment and abuse in our places of government and create real accountability for elected officials that abuse their power.

    ABOUT NATIONAL WOMEN’S DEFENSE LEAGUE ACTION

    The National Women’s Defense League (NWDL) is a national nonpartisan organization dedicated to preventing workplace sexual harassment and protecting survivors through research, advocacy, and survivor support. We are a coalition of advocates, political and legislative staff, lobbyists, policymakers, and survivors from across the country working toward a future where everyone is respected in the workplace and where sexual harassment is not tolerated.

  • FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2026

    NWDL CONDEMNS EEOC DECISION TODAY ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT

    The EEOC’s rollback of landmark guidance will weaken sexual harassment prevention

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE–Today the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted to rescind its Enforcement Guidance on Workplace Harassment. This move will weaken efforts to prevent and address workplace sexual harassment at a time when it remains widespread and underreported.

    National Women’s Defense League Action Fund (NWDLAF), a national nonpartisan organization focused on the prevention of workplace sexual harassment, released the following statements from their Co-Founders: 

    Sarah Jane Higginbotham, NWDL Co-Director & Co-Founder:

    “For millions of workers who are survivors of sexual harassment, the EEOC is often the last line of defense. While the EEOC’s decision today to rescind this guidance doesn’t change the laws on the books, it adds confusion to an already convoluted, intimidating and inadequate process that survivors rely on for safety and justice. In short, it is cruel.

    “This unfounded decision undermines ten years’ worth of dedicated time and effort by the EEOC to create the guidance that was funded by taxpayers–American workers, 47% of whom are women and many more times likely to experience sexual harassment. This is yet another deeply disturbing and dangerous outcome from an administration that has proven time and again to disregard the rights and safety of women in the workplace.”

    Emma Davidson Tribbs, NWDL Founding Director:

    “Ambiguity has never protected survivors of sexual harassment; it protects sexual harassers that benefit from silence and confusion. Survivors deserve a federal government that strengthens their rights, not one that makes them harder to understand or enforce.

    “Clear, enforceable standards are essential to safe and equitable workplaces. NWDL will continue to hold institutions accountable, track federal actions that affect worker protections, and advocate for policies that center survivors, strengthen prevention, and ensure that no one is left without recourse when workplace systems fail.”


    ABOUT NATIONAL WOMEN’S DEFENSE LEAGUE ACTION

    The National Women’s Defense League (NWDL) is a national nonpartisan organization dedicated to preventing workplace sexual harassment and protecting survivors through research, advocacy, and survivor support. We are a coalition of advocates, political and legislative staff, lobbyists, policymakers, and survivors from across the country working toward a future where everyone is respected in the workplace and where sexual harassment is not tolerated.