Texas Congressman Accused of Pursuing a Second Subordinate With Lewd Texts
nytimes.com • • nation
Key Points:
- Representative Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, admitted to a sexual relationship with a staff member who later died by suicide, leading House Republican leaders to call for him to end his re-election campaign but not to resign from Congress.
- New explicit texts reported by The San Antonio Express-News suggest Gonzales engaged in a pattern of inappropriate sexual advances toward female subordinates, including pressuring a former campaign aide in 2020 to send nude photos and have sex.
- The revelations create a difficult situation for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who risks losing the fragile Republican majority if Gonzales resigns, as Gonzales remains a sitting member of Congress despite dropping his re-election bid.
- Gonzales has characterized his affair with Regina Santos-Aviles as a "lapse in judgment" and a "mistake," but the newly surfaced texts indicate a longer history of misconduct predating that relationship.
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