House Ethics Panel Launches Probe Into Rep. Tony Gonzales Over Aide Affair Claims
The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales over allegations that he had an affair with a congressional aide, placing the Republican lawmaker under scrutiny during an active reelection fight.
The inquiry comes just one day after Gonzales was pushed into a Republican primary runoff in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, raising the stakes for both the ethics probe and the upcoming May election.
According to the committee’s announcement, investigators will examine whether Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct toward a staff member or violated House rules by giving preferential treatment to someone in his congressional office. The committee said it will form an investigative subcommittee to review the allegations.
The controversy centers on Regina Santos-Aviles, a former aide to Gonzales who died by suicide in September 2025 after setting herself on fire outside her home, according to reporting from CBS News and other outlets.
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Text messages obtained by journalists show Santos-Aviles telling a colleague she had “an affair with our boss,” referring to Gonzales. The messages became public weeks before the Texas primary election.
Gonzales has repeatedly denied the affair and said the allegations are part of an extortion attempt connected to the aide’s husband.
“What you’ve seen is not all the facts,” Gonzales told reporters.
The House Ethics Committee emphasized that launching the investigation does not mean wrongdoing occurred, but the probe will determine whether Gonzales violated congressional conduct rules involving relationships with staff or misuse of office authority.
The timing has intensified pressure on Gonzales, who already faced calls from some Republican colleagues to resign after the allegations surfaced.
For now, the ethics inquiry will run alongside a heated runoff race against Republican challenger Brandon Herrera.
The investigative panel is expected to begin reviewing evidence in the coming weeks.
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