All posts tagged: Gonzales

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas says he will retire after bipartisan calls for expulsion

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas says he will retire after bipartisan calls for expulsion

Published by Sam Flores

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, makes his way to House votes in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas said Monday he will retire from Congress after bipartisan calls to expel him. Gonzales had already said he would not seek reelection after admitting to an affair with a staff member who had later died by suicide. His retirement announcement came just hours after Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California said he would be resigning from Congress as he also confronted allegations of sexual misconduct. House Republican leaders had already called on the three-term Gonzales to not seek reelection as they try to hold on to a strongly Republican district in November’s midterm elections. And the House Ethics Committee had initiated an investigation. Under House ethics rules, lawmakers may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House under their supervision. “There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all,” Gonzales said in …

“God has a plan for us all”: Gonzales announces resignation after outcry over affair

“God has a plan for us all”: Gonzales announces resignation after outcry over affair

Published by Sam Flores

Rep. Tony Gonzales announced his resignation from Congress on Monday. “There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all,” the three-term Republican from Texas wrote on X. “When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.” Gonzales was facing calls to step down over allegations that he’d had an affair with a married former staffer. The woman in question later died by suicide. House rules prohibit relationships between lawmakers and their staff. When news initially broke of Gonzales’ alleged affair, the congressman claimed that he was the victim of an extortion plot. “I WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED. Disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death,” he wrote on X last month. “The public should IMMEDIATELY have full access to the Uvalde Police report.” Start your day with essential news from Salon.Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course. Gonzales was the second member of the House of Representatives to announce his …

GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas ends reelection bid after admitting to affair with aide : NPR

GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas ends reelection bid after admitting to affair with aide : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

FILE – Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference Dec. 7, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Mariam Zuhaib/AP hide caption toggle caption Mariam Zuhaib/AP WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas said late Thursday he was withdrawing from his reelection race, after having admitted an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide, but he vowed to finish out his term in Congress. He had faced calls from GOP leadership to end his reelection bid, and from others in Congress to resign. “After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election,” Gonzales said in a statement posted late Thursday to X. The move is the latest in a quickly changing situation that stunned Capitol Hill and resulted in a House Ethics Committee investigation into his conduct. Gonzales’ decision to bow out of the race appears to clear the field. On Tuesday, he had been forced into a May runoff against Brandon Herrera, a gun manufacturer and YouTube gun-rights influencer …

Representative Gonzales to end re-election bid after sex allegations

Representative Gonzales to end re-election bid after sex allegations

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 14: U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) speaks alongside U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) at a news conference on border security outside of the U.S. Capitol Building on November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty Images U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, will not seek re-election, he said on Thursday, following calls from top House Republicans to drop his bid due to allegations that he had an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide. “After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” Gonzales said in a post on X. A congressional ethics panel had on Wednesday announced it would investigate the allegations against Gonzales. “Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson and three members of his leadership team, in a joint statement. Gonzales had agreed to cooperate fully with the House Ethics Committee probe into what they described as “very serious allegations,” said the group statement, …

Speaker Johnson calls on Texas Rep. Gonzales to drop reelection bid

Speaker Johnson calls on Texas Rep. Gonzales to drop reelection bid

Published by Sam Flores

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, does a TV news interview in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images House Republican leaders on Thursday called on Rep. Tony Gonzales to drop his bid for reelection after the Texas Republican admitted to having an affair with a staff member. The House Ethics Committee on Wednesday announced it was investigating Gonzales’ relationship with the aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide in September. Later on Wednesday, Gonzales went on a conservative radio show and for the first time admitted to the affair, calling it “a lapse in judgment.” After Tuesday’s primary elections in Texas, Gonzales is heading to a runoff election in May against Brandon Herrera, who is challenging the incumbent from the right. Read more CNBC politics coverage “Congressman Gonzales has said he will fully cooperate with the investigation. We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Majority Whip Tom Emmer, …

Rep. Tony Gonzales admits to affair with staffer who died by suicide

Rep. Tony Gonzales admits to affair with staffer who died by suicide

Published by Sam Flores

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Conference, participates in the group’s press conference in the Capitol, March 25, 2025. Bill Clark | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Rep. Tony Gonzales for the first time on Wednesday admitted to having an affair with a staffer who died by suicide in September. “I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment and there was a lack of faith. And I take full responsibility for those actions,” the Texas Republican said during an appearance on The Joe Pags Show, a conservative talk show. “Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has. And my faith is as strong as ever.” His office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Gonzales acknowledged the affair the same day the House Ethics Committee announced it had opened an investigation into his conduct. The committee said it would investigate whether Gonzales “engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his congressional office,” or “discriminated unfairly …

Rep. Tony Gonzales asked for explicit photos from aide who later died by suicide

Rep. Tony Gonzales asked for explicit photos from aide who later died by suicide

Published by Sam Flores

Just after midnight on May 9, 2024, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales begged an employee, Regina Santos-Aviles, to send him a “sexy pic.” When she pushed back, saying the conversation had gone too far, the married San Antonio Republican persisted, saying he was “just such a visual person.” Santos-Aviles, Gonzales’ district director in Uvalde, died in September 2025 after lighting herself on fire. Her husband, Adrian Aviles, shared these text messages with The Texas Tribune on Monday as evidence of an affair between the congressman and his staffer. Aviles told the San Antonio Express-News, which published the text messages first, that the relationship and the professional ostracization his wife faced after it was discovered led her to become despondent before her death. Gonzales did not respond to a request for comment. He said in November that rumors of an affair between him and Santos-Aviles were “completely untruthful.” But as more evidence has emerged over the last week, he has sidestepped direct denials, instead accusing Aviles of trying to blackmail him and blaming his opponent in next …

Texas Rep. Gonzales Resists Calls to Resign Over Allegations of an Affair With an Ex-Staffer

Texas Rep. Gonzales Resists Calls to Resign Over Allegations of an Affair With an Ex-Staffer

Published by Sam Flores

HOUSTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas resisted growing calls Tuesday from fellow congressional Republicans to resign over a report of an alleged affair with a former staffer who later died after she set herself on fire. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky joined Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Nancy Mace of South Carolina in demanding that Gonzales step down immediately. Gonzales is in a tough race in Texas’ Republican primary on March 3, facing a challenger he narrowly defeated in a 2024 GOP runoff. He told reporters he will not resign. A resignation would leave Republicans with a 217-214 majority until March, when the first of three special elections to fill vacancies is set in Georgia. “There will be opportunities for all of the details and facts to come out,” he said. “What you’ve seen is not all the facts.” House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would talk to Gonzales on Tuesday. Johnson said Monday that the accusations against Gonzales “must be taken seriously,” but he added, …