The Megyn Kelly Show - Swalwell and Gonzales Resign Amid Scandals, Husband Released in Lynette Hooker Case: AM Update 4/14

Episode Date: April 14, 2026

Two members of Congress, Democrat Eric Swalwell and Republican Tony Gonzales, announce their resignations as sexual misconduct scandals drive mounting political pressure on Capitol Hill. The U.S. moves forward with a sweeping maritime blockade of Iran following failed nuclear talks, escalating the standoff and targeting any vessels tied to Iranian ports. A federal judge dismisses President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, finding the paper did not meet the legal standard for actual malice in its reporting on the alleged Jeffrey Epstein birthday letter. Bahamian authorities release Brian Hooker without charges in the disappearance of his wife Lynette Hooker, as questions continue to build around his account of what happened on the water.   Lean: Discover why LEAN is becoming the choice for real weight‑loss results—shop now at https://TAKELEAN.com use code MK.   Supersure Insurance: Simplify your business insurance and get a free coverage report at https://Supersure.com/Megyn Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Tuesday, April 14th, 2026. Happy birthday, Yardley. And this is your AM update. Democrat Congressman Eric Swalwell and Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez announcing they will step down from their congressional seats amid growing political pressure relating to their sexual misconduct scandals. If the Iranians are going to try to engage in economic terrorism, we're going to abide by a simple principle that no Iranian ships are getting out either. The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is now underway as both sides remain in a stalemate over Iran's nuclear ambitions. A federal judge throwing out President Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over its reporting on that infamous alleged Jeffrey Epstein birthday letter. I am happy to see that justice is really working in this country. They had no evidence and they had no choice but to release it. Bahamian authorities releasing the husband of missing America.

American woman Lynette Hooker yesterday without bringing charges related to her disappearance. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update. Everybody's talking about weight loss injections because the results can be so dramatic. They work by lowering blood sugar and reducing appetite. But what if you're looking to lose weight, but you're not interested in painful weekly injections, especially when you hear about some of those intense side effects. That's why doctors created a weight loss supplement called lean. and the results could be remarkable.

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created lean for frustrated dieters with 10 or more pounds to lose. You could get started with 20% off in free rush shipping, adding lean to your healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit takeleen.com and enter mk to get your discount. That's promo code mk at takelein.com. A pair of congressmen announcing their departures last night amid mounting scandal and political pressure on Capitol Hill. Congressman Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, resigning from his house seat

following a wave of sexual misconduct allegations. The most serious coming from a former congressional staffer who claimed Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019 and, and 2024, saying the encounters occurred while she was intoxicated and could not consent, though she acknowledges remaining in contact with him and inviting him out for drinks the evening of the second incident. No police report was ever filed. Swalwell suspending his campaign for California governor Sunday night as political support quickly evaporated. On the hill yesterday, pressure ramping up throughout the day, the House Ethics Committee launching a formal probe into the allegations, a process that would have allowed the committee to recommend potential disciplinary action

to the full House. But before that process could play out, and with a vote to expel him looming, and having suspended his campaign for California governor the evening before, Swalwell announcing Monday afternoon, he would step down from his house seat. In a statement, the congressman writing, quote, I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make. He went on to write that while he believes expulsion without due process would be wrong, it would also be wrong for his constituents to be represented by someone distracted by the controversy. The resignation coming just minutes after, Democrat Senator

from Arizona, Ruben Gallego, allegedly one of Swalwell's closest friends publicly breaking with Swalwell on X, posting, quote, Swalwell is no longer fit to be a member of Congress. He should be expelled. Gallego also stating he had, quote, no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell. Meanwhile, Fox News, reporting another accuser

is expected to speak publicly at a press conference in Beverly Hills today. About an hour after Swalwell's announcement, Congressman Tony Gonzalez, Republican of Texas, also announcing that he will step down. amid personal scandals of his own. Gonzales, writing on X, quote, There is a season for everything,

and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas. How dare he include a reference to God in this? Gonzalez, married with six children, had already announced he would not seek re-election after admitting to an affair

with a young, married staffer who later died by suicide, she set herself on fire. The San Antonio Express reporting earlier this year on lewd texts by the congressman to the staffer shared with the outlet by her irate late husband. That matter had also been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, though Gonzalez has denied any responsibility for the woman's death. The San Antonio Express last week reporting on text messages, allegedly showing the congressman soliciting sex and nude photos from another staffer.

What is it with these lawmakers? With a pair of resignations, the balance of power in the House is expected to remain unchanged. Let's hope the same's not true of these two men's morality. The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports along the Strait of Hormuz going into effect yesterday at 10 a.m. President Trump ordering the maneuver after peace talks in Pakistan, failed over the weekend. Vice President J.D. Vance on Fox News last night explaining the scope of the blockade. Not just Iranian flagged vessels, Brett, but any vessel that we know is going to Iranian ports or has come from Iranian ports, you're probably going to see some vessels try to reflag

themselves. But of course, we're going to know because we have very good intelligence, which ships are going in and which ships are coming out that are connected to Iran. They haven't been able to prosecute the case when it comes to weapons of war. What they have done is engaged in this act of economic terrorism against the entire world. They basically threatened any ship that's moving through the Straits of Hormuz. Well, as the President of United States showed, two can play at that game. And if the Iranians are going to try to engage in economic terrorism, we're going to abide by a simple principle that no Iranian ships are getting out either. The U.S. backing the effort with significant firepower, at least

15 Navy ships now positioned across the region, including an aircraft carrier and multiple destroyers, according to CNN. showing just one sanctioned tanker making its way through the strait, while others immediately turning around. According to Reuters, two vessels reversing course within minutes of approaching the waterway after the blockade took effect. As for where things stand diplomatically, Iran's president, Massoud Peseshkian, signaling Tehran is still open to negotiations while warning that pressure on the Strait of Hormuz could have global consequences. According to the New York Times, the U.S. is pushing a 20-year halt to Iranian uranium enrichment and the removal of Iran's

nuclear material from the country. Iranian negotiators countering with a five-year suspension and insisting on keeping the material offering to dilute it. The gap reflecting a deeper sticking point. With the U.S. pushing toward zero enrichment, a demand Iran has long rejected as a non-starter. More from the vice president last night on Fox. What some people call the dust, which is the enriched uranium that the Iranians currently possess, we have said that we want that to come out of their country and we would like to take possession of it. That access, that material was actually buried underground by Operation Midnight Hammer. But if you think about this over the long haul, the president doesn't want to leave the next president or the president after that to be worrying about this program. And so we would like to get that material out of the country completely so that the United States has.

has control of it. That's number one. And the second thing is that, again, to this point about verification, it's one thing for the Iranians to say that they're not going to have a nuclear weapon. It's another thing for us to put in place the mechanism to ensure that's not going to happen. No new talks have been scheduled, though both sides are signaling they could return to the table. The tenuous ceasefire set to expire in just over a week. Coming up, a federal judge sides with the Wall Street Journal tossing out President Trump's defamation lawsuit over the birthday letter Mr. Trump allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein decades ago and the husband of missing American woman Lynette Hooker, who appears to have been lost at sea

in the Bahamas released from jail last night. Here's a question for you. How many brokers does it take to ensure your business? If you're like most business owners, the answer is too many, multiple policies, multiple applications, no clear view of how it all fits together. it's a nightmare. And when questions do come up, it's not easy to get the clarity you need. And when it comes to insurance, you always need it quickly. But super sure changes all that. It's a one-stop shop for all of your business insurance, backed by a team that works with you year round, not just at renewal time. You're not a hassle to them. They actually want to partner with you and make your life easier. And if you've ever stared at a policy, wondering what it actually covers, right, who has a

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and they will run interference for you. Okay. So check it out. SuperShore.com slash Megan, paid for by SuperShore Insurance Agency, LLC, a licensed insurance agency. A federal judge Yesterday, tossing out President Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over its reporting on a birthday letter allegedly sent by Mr. Trump to Jeffrey Epstein more than 20 years ago. In July 2025, the journal publishing a story headlined, quote, Jeffrey Epstein's friends sent him bawdy letters for a 50th birthday album. One was from Donald Trump. According to the report in 2003, Epstein Associate Galane Maxwell compiling letters from dozens of Epstein's friends and associates, years before investigations into the disgraced

financier that would ultimately lead to his conviction on two state charges, solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor. The journal describing the letter, which it says it reviewed, as containing several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, with Mr. Trump's signature appearing below the waist, and concluding, quote, happy birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret. President Trump denying that he authored the letter, telling the journal, quote, I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women. It's not my language. It's not my words. Shortly after the article's publication, Mr. Trump's legal team filing a defamation lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, naming the journal's

parent company, News Corp, founder Rupert Murdoch, CEO Robert Thompson, publisher Dow Jones, and two reporters. Mr. Trump's lawyers arguing the report caused significant financial and reputational harm, damages they said would only grow as the story spread. The journal's legal team urging the court to dismiss the case, arguing the reporting was accurate, and that Mr. Trump could not show the journal acted with actual malice in its reporting, the standard required for public figures suing for defamation. Yesterday, Obama appointed U.S. District Judge Darren Gales,

siding with the journal, dismissing the complaint without police. prejudice, meaning the president is able to refile at a later date. Judge Gales, finding Mr. Trump had not alleged facts that could establish the journal acted with actual malice, a notoriously high legal standard for defamation cases brought by public figures, which requires proof that a publisher knew a claim was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. Judge Gale's writing, quote, to establish actual malice, a plaintiff must show the defendant deliberately avoided investigating the veracity of the statement in order to evade learning the truth. The complaint comes nowhere close to this standard, quite the opposite. Dow Jones, responding

in a statement, quote, we are pleased with the judge's decision to dismiss this complaint. We stand behind the reliability, rigor, and accuracy of the Wall Street Journal's reporting. President Trump posting on Truth Social that his team intends to refile the case before April 27th. Bahamian authorities released. the husband of missing American woman, 55-year-old Lynette Hooker, from custody last night. A magistrate previously approving an extension to keep 58-year-old Brian Hooker in lockup through the weekend, as investigators continued examining the case, but under Bahamian law, Hooker had to be charged or released from jail by yesterday evening. Mr. Hooker, taken into custody last Wednesday,

four days after he says his wife, Lynette, fell from their small dingy into the water and was then swept away by strong currents. Brian telling police Lynette was wearing the engine key to the dinghy, causing the boat to lose power when she went overboard. Brian, with no power and just a paddle in the small boat, says he drifted across the bay, eventually making landfall around 4 a.m. Sunday, roughly four miles from where he says Lynette went overboard.

Once on land, Brian encountering a security guard at a nearby boatyard, telling him Lynette had fallen into the sea. He also reportedly said the two had been drinking before the incident. Key details in Brian's account raising questions from both friends and family, hear a longtime sailing friend Daniel Danforth Saturday on Fox News. They were very, very experienced boaters. If you're a actual voter and people that boat every day know that the story don't really add up. He said that she fell out of the boat, the wind blew him away,

that she was swimming back to the cellboat. So he actually lacked like he didn't have a lot of concern, like, you know, she would have made it to the cellboat without all. a problem and then when he got to land why didn't he immediately go back to the cellboat to check and see if she had made it or if she did make it to the sailboat he would expect for her to call out for help too that you know seven eight hours is a long time that you don't cross most time when we anchor our boat or anybody anchors you always anchor in a little group in a protected cove you're not really out exposed to the open ocean on anchorage that you take the proper cap and you always take proper planning procedures ahead of time and you sure don't go out in a small dingy in rough waters that that's usually just for going to land back to your cell boat and you know you take the proper cap and you're going to land back to your cell boat and you're There's not really a boat made for commuting. Lynette's daughter, Carly Aylesworth, also raising doubts, telling multiple outlets Brian typically operated the dinghy, making it unlikely Lynette would have had the key. Aylesworth going public in the days after her mother's disappearance,

describing a volatile relationship between her mother and stepfather of more than two decades. Lynette's mother, Darlene Hamlet, echoing those same concerns, detailing a pattern of alleged abuse Friday on Ashley Banfield's Drop Dead Serious Pop. There was a lot of good times and bad times in my daughter's relationship with her husband, a lot of highs and a lot of lows. They had, when it was fun, it was really fun, and when there were bad times, there were bad times. And the fact that she had left him on numerous occasions before and continued to go back even after she had been hurt was something that was very difficult for me to understand.

And I did a lot of crying, and I had to prepare. myself for what I thought was someday going to happen unless she finally decided she had had enough. I think they loved each other, but they were not good for each other. That's the best way I can say it. When Brian drank, Brian could be mean, hateful, they unpleasant things. That pretty much describes him. He also got physical. It's just like it just progressively got worse. And so this is where we're at now. Michigan court records show Brian Hooker was acquitted of a child abuse charge back in 2006, according to NBC News. In 2015, Lynette reportedly arrested on assault charges, but a warrant was ultimately denied,

with authorities citing insufficient evidence to determine who initiated the incident. A Michigan police report from that night shows both Lynette and Brian accused each other of assault. The search effort, turning up very little so far. Searchers reportedly recovering a flotation device Brian claims he threw to Lynette after she fell from the dinghy. Linette's mother telling Banfield, her daughter's Apple Watch was also uncovered in the search, though it is unclear to her where it was found. A local charter captain telling Fox News the water ranges from about four to 10 feet deep depending on the tide, and the sea floor is clearly visible. Lynette's daughter says Lynette is an experienced swimmer.

Brian Hooker denies all wrongdoing, his attorney, Terrell Butler, speaking to reporters last night moments before Brian's release. Great news, everyone. Mr. Brian Hooker has been released. You should be walking out shortly. With any conditions? I'm not sure yet. I'm going to have a quick word with him inside before he walks out,

and we could go from there. So you just got work, he's going to be released? That is correct, yes. How are you doing? I am happy to see that justice is really working in this country. They had no evidence and they had no choice but to release him. It's unfortunate that they had to exhaust the entire investigative period to come to the conclusion. Last week, the search and rescue operation for Lynette turned into search and recovery.

investigators say no charges are being filed at this time, but the investigation continues. CBS News reporting a search warrant for the Hooker's boat has allowed authorities to take a digital video recorder, digital tablets, and cell phone-related equipment. The search warrant alleges these may contain material evidence relating to a missing person case. And that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for the MK show live on SiriusXMs, the Megan Kelly Channel 11 at New East, on YouTube.com slash Megan Kelly and on all podcast platforms.