WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales to investigate affair allegations with his former aide.
The committee announced a panel Wednesday, a day after Gonzales advanced to a May primary runoff, that will determine whether Gonzales “engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his congressional office” and “discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges.”
Gonzales’ former aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, died by suicide last year after setting herself on fire. Rumors of an affair between the representative and Santos-Aviles circulated since September, but in November, Gonzales addressed the allegations at The Texas Tribune Festival saying they were “completely untruthful.” The story drew renewed attention on Feb. 17, the eve of early voting, when the San Antonio Express-News reported that Santos-Aviles had acknowledged the affair to another staffer in a text message.
Texts later shared by Santos-Aviles’ widower showed Gonzales begging the staffer for a “sexy pic” and asking her to share her “favorite position,” despite Santos-Aviles’ refusal and assertion that Gonzales’ messages were “going too far.”
Reports also found that Santos-Aviles received a raise and bonus the same year she allegedly had an affair with Gonzales, and ended the year with thousands more in earnings than her colleagues in similar roles.
A growing number of House members, all from the House’s most conservative bloc, called on Gonzales to resign in the week leading up to the primary election, including Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who said the entire Texas delegation should be condemning Gonzales.
House rules prohibit members from having a sexual relationship or engaging in unwelcome sexual advances with their staffers.
The timing of the ethics review is another blow to Gonzales who is still fighting for a tough reelection battle against gun rights activist Brandon Herrera, who came within 400 votes of beating him during the last election.
The Office of Congressional Conduct, an independent, nonpartisan body overseeing the House of Representatives, has also been investigating Gonzales for months, the San Antonio Express-News reported. Politico reviewed the report, which said there is “substantial reason to believe” Gonzales had a sexual relationship with his subordinate and recommended in a 6-0 decision that the House ethics panel investigate the allegations, the outlet reported.
Gonzales has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and told CNN on Feb. 24 he wouldn’t resign from his term, which ends January 2027, and continued pushing forward with his campaign.
The May runoff between Gonzales and Brandon Herrera, a guns rights YouTuber, will be the second time the two faced off — two years after Gonzales won against Herrera by only a few hundred votes.
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