U.S. Representative Paul Gosar announced on Apr. 16 the introduction of the “Stopping Wasteful Allowances for Lawmaker Wrongdoing and Ensuring Legal Liability Act,” also known as the SWALWELL Act, which aims to end taxpayer-funded congressional misconduct settlements.
The proposed legislation seeks to address concerns about accountability and transparency in Congress by ensuring that members and staff who commit wrongdoing are personally responsible for legal settlements, rather than relying on public funds.
“For decades, the swamp in Washington, D.C. has protected its own—letting corrupt politicians bury misconduct behind closed doors while sticking taxpayers with the bill. That ends now. If a Member of Congress or professional staff breaks the law or abuses their position, they should pay the price themselves—not the American people, and not in secret,” Gosar said.
According to Gosar’s statement, the SWALWELL Act would prohibit federal dollars from being used for misconduct settlements and require lawmakers to certify under oath that no public money was used for such purposes. The bill would also establish a searchable database listing individuals who settled or were found liable for wrongdoing since 1995, including settlement amounts and reasons while protecting victims’ identities. Additionally, any criminal allegations would be referred directly to the Department of Justice without internal confidentiality agreements or delays.
Gosar said that those attempting to evade these new rules could face double damages and ethics investigations enforced by the Attorney General. “This is about ending the two-tiered system in Washington, D.C. where politicians play by their own rules. The SWALWELL Act restores accountability, enforces transparency, and makes it clear: if you betray the public trust, you will be exposed, and you will pay for it,” he said.
Gosar currently represents Arizona’s 9th district in Congress after replacing Ann Kirkpatrick in 2011 according to GovTrack. He has served continuously since then according to official records. In recent elections he defeated Quacy Smith in 2024 with over 65% of votes as reported by Ballotpedia, following his win against Richard Grayson in 2022 also according to Ballotpedia.
Born in Rock Springs, Wyoming in 1958 and now residing in Bullhead City according to Vote Smart, Gosar graduated from Creighton University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1981 as noted by Vote Smart.
