Republican Leadership Calls For Congressman To Drop Re-election Bid After Admitting To Affair With Married Staffer Who Died By Suicide

House Republican activity connected Thursday called connected Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas to driblet his re-election bid aft he admitted to an extramarital matter pinch a former staffer who was joined who yet died by suicide.

The telephone comes aft nan House Ethics Committee announced it was investigating Gonzales for his extramarital affair pinch Regina Santos-Aviles, a 35-year-old joined female and mother who worked successful his agency successful Uvalde.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain released a associated connection connected Thursday.

“The Ethics Committee has announced an investigation into Congressman Tony Gonzales’s conduct, and we impulse them to enactment expeditiously,” they said connected Thursday. “Congressman Gonzales has said he will afloat cooperate pinch nan investigation. We person encouraged him to reside these very superior allegations straight pinch his constituents and his colleagues. In nan meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to retreat from his title for re-election.”

Over nan past year, The San Antonio Express-News reported reported aggregate stories astir Santos-Aviles and her decease wherever she group herself connected fire.

“I return work for my actions,” Gonzales said. “It’s besides important to cognize each nan specifications and each nan facts.”

Gonzales had initially stayed mum up of nan superior this Tuesday wherever he faced YouTuber Brendan Herrera, whom he hit successful a runoff successful 2024. President Donald Trump had endorsed Gonzales successful nan race.

But connected Tuesday, neither Gonzales nor Herrera earned capable votes to triumph an outright majority, triggering a runoff predetermination successful May. On Wednesday evening, Gonzales admitted to an extramarital matter successful an question and reply pinch conservative talk show big Joe Pagliarulo.

“I made a correction and I had a lapse successful judgement and location was a deficiency of religion and I return afloat work for those actions,” he said. Gonzales said he asked his woman and God for forgiveness.

A Navy seasoned from San Antonio and 1 of a fistful of Hispanic conservatives successful nan House of Representatives, Gonzales had been considered a rising prima and constituent personification for Republicans connected immigration.

But nan news of nan affair, including screenshots of him asking for risque photos from Santos-Aviles, led to Republicans, including galore conservatives, to telephone for his resignation.

Republican activity did not telephone for Gonzales to resign. Republicans person only 218 seats successful nan House of Representatives, meaning they tin only spend to suffer 1 of their ain members each vote. A resignation from Gonzales could consequence their majority.

The House Ethics Committee announced this week that it would unfastened a probe into whether Gonzales violated immoderate rules successful relationship pinch allegations that he whitethorn person engaged successful inappropriate activity conduct.

-Rachel Dobkin contributed reporting.