2025 marked a tumultuous year for the U.S. Congress, with a surge in ethics investigations, federal indictments, and political scandals that exposed vulnerabilities across party lines. As the 119th Congress convened amid a polarized post-election landscape, the House Ethics Committee ramped up scrutiny, reauthorizing probes into carryover cases while launching new ones. High-profile referrals from Trump administration officials added fuel, often blurring lines between legitimate oversight and partisan retribution. This overview details key instances of legal jeopardy—ranging from criminal charges to ethics violations—that emerged or escalated in 2025, totaling over a dozen cases. Among them, Rep. Eric Swalwell's mortgage fraud referral, Georgia state Rep. Sharon Henderson's unemployment scam indictment, and the Minnesota welfare fraud scandal engulfing Rep. Ilhan Omar's orbit highlight the breadth of issues, from financial misconduct to interference with federal operations. These events not only threatened individual careers but also eroded public trust in legislative integrity.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA): Mortgage Fraud Referral and Retaliatory Lawsuit
One of the year's most publicized congressional dust-ups centered on Rep. Eric Swalwell, a vocal Trump critic and 2021 impeachment manager eyeing a California gubernatorial run. In November 2025, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte—a Trump appointee—referred Swalwell to the Department of Justice for a criminal probe into alleged mortgage and tax fraud tied to his $1.2 million Washington, D.C., residence.
Prosecutors examined claims that Swalwell misrepresented his primary residence on loan applications, potentially understating income or occupancy to secure favorable terms, a violation of federal housing laws carrying up to 30 years in prison if proven. The referral echoed similar accusations against other Democrats like Rep. Adam Schiff, suggesting a pattern of targeted scrutiny from the administration.
Swalwell swiftly countersued Pulte on November 25, alleging Privacy Act violations and First Amendment retaliation for his anti-Trump activism.
The suit claimed Pulte abused government databases to leak sensitive financial data, aiming to derail Swalwell's career. Filed in D.C. federal court, it sought damages and an injunction against further disclosures. Legal experts viewed this as a high-stakes test of executive overreach, with Swalwell's team arguing the probe was "politically motivated harassment."
By year's end, the DOJ had not filed charges, but the cloud lingered, forcing Swalwell to divert campaign resources to defense. This case exemplified 2025's theme: weaponized investigations as political theater, with potential civil penalties for Pulte if the suit prevailed.
Rep. Sharon Henderson (D-GA, State House): Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Indictment
Though not a federal member of Congress, Georgia State Rep. Sharon Henderson's December 2025 arrest drew national attention for its parallels to congressional ethics lapses, spotlighting pandemic-era grift among lawmakers. Indicted on two counts of theft of government funds and ten counts of false statements, Henderson allegedly pocketed $17,811 in federal COVID-19 unemployment benefits while campaigning for her House District 113 seat in June 2020.
As a banker-turned-politician representing Newton County, she falsely claimed unemployment despite her salaried role, submitting paperwork that misrepresented her employment status to the Georgia Department of Labor.
U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg announced the charges on December 8, warning it was "just the first" in a broader crackdown on relief fraud by public officials.
Henderson pleaded not guilty in federal court, with her attorney decrying the prosecution as "overzealous." Facing up to ten years per theft count, she risks expulsion from the Georgia House and ballot disqualification. The case, rooted in 2020 actions but prosecuted in 2025 amid renewed DOJ focus on pandemic waste, underscored systemic vulnerabilities in relief programs exploited by those in power. While state-level, it fueled calls for federal analogs, amplifying scrutiny on congressional COVID fund handlers.
Minnesota Welfare Fraud Scandal: Rep. Ilhan Omar's Indirect Entanglement
The Minnesota welfare fraud saga exploded in late 2025, implicating allies of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) in a $1 billion scheme that dwarfed the earlier $250 million "Feeding Our Future" child nutrition scam.
Centered in Omar's Minneapolis district, the fraud involved Somali-American networks siphoning funds from the Department of Human Services via fake meal programs, ghost vendors, and identity theft during the COVID era.
Federal prosecutors charged dozens, including charity leaders who funneled cash to luxury purchases and overseas remittances, with wire fraud and money laundering.
Omar faced no direct charges but endured intense political jeopardy. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer launched a probe in December, questioning her knowledge of the ringleaders—some of whom donated $7,400 to her campaigns—and ties to implicated nonprofits.
Republicans, including Trump, branded it "the single greatest theft of taxpayer dollars," linking it to immigration policy and threatening Omar's citizenship status (despite her naturalization).
Omar defended her community on "Face the Nation," calling victims of administrative failures under Gov. Tim Walz and decrying "anti-Somali scapegoating."
The scandal, amplified by IRS audits revealing $1 billion in losses, prompted Republican demands for Omar's resignation and fueled her 2026 reelection vulnerabilities. Walz, too, faced blowback, with GOP delegations urging fraud audits.
This case highlighted ethnic profiling risks in fraud probes, with Omar's jeopardy more reputational than legal—yet potent enough to invite ethics referrals.
Other Prominent Cases: A Bipartisan Litany of Probes
Beyond these, 2025 saw a flurry of federal actions. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) was indicted in November for stealing $5 million in FEMA COVID vaccine funds through her family firm, laundering proceeds for her 2022 campaign; she stepped down from committee leadership, facing 20-year sentences.
The House Ethics Committee reauthorized her probe in July for campaign finance misuse.
Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) endured a marathon ethics saga: a March Office of Congressional Ethics report flagged undisclosed federal contracts and campaign misreporting, followed by a November subcommittee launch into assault allegations, a restraining order, and inflated Bronze Star claims.
The House referred censure, voting 310-303 to advance it, marking rare bipartisan rebuke.
Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) faced June charges for assaulting ICE officers at a detention center protest, indicted on three counts of impeding federal operations—a felony carrying up to eight years.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), indicted in 2024 for Azerbaijan/Mexico bribes, saw his ethics probe extended in July but received a Trump pardon in December, dodging trial.
Lesser infractions included Rep. Al Green's March censure for disrupting Biden's address (224-198 vote) and Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García's November disapproval resolution for primary meddling.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) owed fines for undervaluing Met Gala gifts per a July ethics report.
These 2025 developments—12 major probes by December—reflected deeper institutional rot: lax oversight, pandemic opportunism, and executive meddling. With the Ethics Committee signaling broader enforcement, including stock trading and conflicts, lawmakers braced for 2026 reckonings.
(Sources drawn from federal records, DOJ announcements, and congressional databases for comprehensive accuracy.)
Editorial comments expressed in this column are the sole opinion of the writer.
