Yes, they waited till after the primary.
Rep. Tony Gonzales
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.
[…]
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.
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.
See here and here for some background. It sure sounds like there’s plenty for the panel to investigate, so I look forward to seeing what they find. I don’t know how he wins the runoff with all this hanging over his head, but he is still Trump’s candidate, and it’s not like Brandon Herrera is anyone of any merit. Weirder things have happened. But yeah, this investigation – these two investigations – will do Rep. Gonzales no favors. TPR has more.
UPDATE: Confession is good for the soul.
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, admitted Wednesday to having an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, after initially denying the allegation.
Speaking on conservative talk show host Joe Pags’ show the day after he was forced into a runoff in his primary, Gonzales called the affair a “mistake” and a “lapse in judgment.”
“I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said. “Since then, I have reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has. And my faith is as strong as ever.”
Gonzales is now subject to an investigation from the House Ethics Committee, announced Wednesday, to look into whether he “engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his congressional office” and “discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges.”
The third-term representative said he looks forward to the committee’s probe.
“I appreciate the opportunity to provide all the facts and all the details that lead to exactly what occurred in the entire situation,” he said.
And timing is everything. Good luck with that. Talking Points Memo has more.
UPDATE: When it rains, it pours.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and the chamber’s Republican leadership on Thursday asked Rep. Tony Gonzales of San Antonio to drop his reelection bid which is headed for a May 26 runoff against gun activist Brandon Herrera.
The call from the GOP leaders comes a day after Gonzales admitted to having an affair with an aide who later died by setting herself on fire — despite having previously denied the relationship months earlier.
In a statement, GOP leadership said they had urged the House Ethics Committee , a congressional watchdog, to “act expeditiously” and that Gonzales “said he will fully cooperate with the investigation.” House rules prohibit members from having a sexual relationship or engaging in unwelcome sexual advances with their staffers.
“We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues,” the statement said. “In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election.”
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Johnson’s call for Gonzales to end his campaign came after days of skirting questions about the scandal, often telling reporters he wanted the investigative process to run its course.
Notably, he did not ask the congressman to step down from his seat. The GOP is holding onto a razor thin lead in the U.S. House — a majority that could be imperiled in November’s midterm elections.
Notably but unsurprisingly. I mean, principles are nice and all, but let’s not go crazy here.
UPDATE: And in the end, once the ball got rolling, this was where it was going.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, dropped out of his primary runoff Thursday, heeding calls from House Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP members to end his reelection bid amid revelations that he had an affair with an aide who 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 statement posted on social media. “Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful.”
[…]
The situation has a recent analogue in Texas political history. In 2022, then-Rep. Van Taylor, R-Plano, was headed to a runoff after finishing with 49% of the vote in his primary. But the next day, he withdrew from the race, admitting to an affair that had been revealed in Breitbart News the day before the primary. Second-place finisher Keith Self became the nominee and has represented the district since 2023.
Democrats have been eyeing the 23rd District, which is majority-Hispanic and voted for Trump by a 15-point margin in 2024, especially as the scandal around Gonzales has intensified. But they see an opportunity to pick up the seat regardless, as signs abound of Latino voters souring on Trump and the Republican Party after shifting dramatically to the right in 2024.
Herrera, backed by the hard-right House Freedom Caucus’ political arm, has a history of controversial behavior and edgy humor. In 2024, Jewish Insider reported that he had included Nazi imagery, songs and jokes on his YouTube channel. And the outlet also reported he was a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, which promotes Lost Cause ideology.
Good riddance, but Brandon Herrera really sucks, so this is no victory. At least, not yet. Give a few bucks to Katy Padilla Stout, who really needs to be named in all of these stories, and maybe we can do something about that.
Gonzales should drop out of his primary because of marital infidelity but, Paxton shouldn’t? Make it make sense.