House Ethics Committee Investigates Tony Gonzales Over Alleged Affair With Staffer
The U.S. House Ethics Committee has opened a formal investigation into Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas over allegations he had an affair with a congressional aide who later died by suicide.
The announcement lands at a volatile political moment for Gonzales, coming just one day after he was forced into a Republican primary runoff in Texas’ 23rd District.
According to CBS News and the Associated Press, investigators will examine whether Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct toward a staffer or gave special treatment in violation of House rules.
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The allegations center on former aide Regina Santos-Aviles, who reportedly told a colleague in a text message that she had “an affair with our boss.” Santos-Aviles died by suicide in September 2025 after setting herself on fire outside her home.
Gonzales has denied the affair and says he is being blackmailed by the staffer’s husband.
The Ethics Committee said opening the investigation does not mean wrongdoing has occurred. But the probe now places a sitting member of Congress under scrutiny during an already contentious election fight.
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