GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas ends reelection bid after admitting to affair with aide
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas announced he will not seek reelection after admitting to an affair with a former staff member, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, who later died by suicide; he will finish his current term in Congress.
- GOP leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, had called for Gonzales to withdraw from the race but stopped short of demanding his resignation, aiming to preserve their slim House majority.
- The House Ethics Committee has launched an investigation into Gonzales' conduct, as engaging in a sexual relationship with a supervised House employee violates ethics rules.
- Some Republicans, including Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, have proposed punitive measures such as removing Gonzales from committee assignments and censuring him, while House Democrats
