Rep. Tony Gonzales on Wednesday reversed weeks of denials and acknowledged an extramarital affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, calling the relationship "a mistake" and "a lapse in judgment" as a House Ethics Committee investigation gets underway, the Texas Tribune reports. The Texas Republican, who was pushed into a May runoff after a bruising primary, said on conservative host Joe Pags' talk show that he has since "reconciled" with his wife and asked for God's forgiveness, while insisting he will not resign.
The Ethics Committee is examining whether Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct toward the aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, and whether he improperly granted her special treatment. Texts released by Santos-Aviles' widower appear to show Gonzales, a married father of six, requesting a "sexy pic" and sending explicit messages Santos-Aviles described as "going too far." Gonzales declined to verify the texts but denied linking her pay raise and bonus to their relationship. He denied having anything to do with her suicide, and said she was "thriving at work" at the time of her death, Politico reports.
Gonzales also accused Santos-Aviles' husband of trying to extort him for $300,000 and said political opponents are weaponizing the scandal. Gonzales, backed by President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, faces gun-rights activist and YouTuber Brandon Herrera in the runoff and insisted, "I am going to win in May."
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