Texas attorney Tony Gonzales is facing an ethics investigation over allegations of sexual harassment
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The House of Representatives is launching an internal investigation into a GOP lawmaker accused of having an affair and sexually assaulting an aide who has since taken his own life.
I House Ethics Committee revealed on Wednesday that he was launching a subcommittee investigation into Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, in response to allegations that he “conducted sexual misconduct toward an employee of his congressional office” and “improperly discriminated against by granting favors or special privileges.”
Gonzales narrowly avoided defeat in his GOP primary race Tuesday night but fell short of the majority of the vote. He will be facing social media personality Brandon Herrera next time in the ongoing elections in May.
The Texas Republican denied having an affair with his late Uvalde-based aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, and accused her husband of fraud.
Representative Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, arrives for a press conference at the US Capitol on March 25, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
“During the six years I have been in Congress, not a single official complaint has been filed against my office. Now days away from the election, organized political attacks reign. IT WILL NOT WORK. Part of the early voting and the intensity remains w / TG voters. I would like to be us than them,” he wrote in X in late February.
He told Fox News Digital in response to the investigation Wednesday, “I welcome the opportunity to present all the facts to the committee.”
It is not clear what impact these allegations have had on his performance and how they will play out between now and his next election. Gonzalez previously defeated Herrera by less than 2% in his 2024 Republican primary.
But the growing scandal has fueled calls for him to resign, particularly from some House Republicans.
Republican Congressman Brandon Herrera speaks during a campaign rally at Constantino’s Pizza restaurant in Somerset, Texas, on Feb. 26, 2026. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“I would encourage him to consider resigning,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told reporters last week.
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His friend Texas attorney, Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, urged Gonzales not to run for re-election. “America deserves better. Tony should leave the race,” he wrote on X.
Attorney Nancy Mace, RS.C., who also asked to step down, announced just this week that he is forcing a vote on a measure that would require the House Ethics Committee to release information about lawmakers accused of sexually harassing their staff.
Regina Santos-Aviles, a Gonzales employee, died on September 13, 2025. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images; Regina Santos-Aviles Facebook)
He told Fox News Digital that Gonzales’ situation was the impetus for his effort, “I mean, really, this girl killed herself in a horrible way. She literally set herself on fire, and we’re going to sit here and say, let the process play out? No.”
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Gonzales previously told reporters that he had no intention of resigning.
The traditionally secretive House Ethics Committee doesn’t offer a set timeline for its reviews, and it doesn’t typically predict regular updates to them.
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