Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) announced Monday that he will resign from Congress following sexual assault allegations made against him. The California lawmaker made the announcement in a social media post.

Swalwell has denied the accusations of sexual abuse. The House Ethics Committee had begun an investigation into the allegations prior to his resignation announcement.

Democratic colleagues had been urging Swalwell to step down as the ethics probe got underway. The pressure from within his own party appeared to influence his decision to resign rather than face a prolonged investigation.

The resignation comes as Congress has faced increased scrutiny over how it handles allegations of misconduct by members. Swalwell's departure will trigger a special election process in his California district.

In a separate development, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) made controversial comments Monday about sexual assault cases, stating that "rapists should be hung, period." Ogles said his remarks were not directed specifically at Swalwell, though they came in the wake of the allegations against the California Democrat.