Gonzales Faces Ethics Probe After Sexual Relationship Allegations Surface

Tony Gonzales resigned from Congress on April 13 after a House ethics probe into allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a subordinate moved into the open, leaving lawmakers to confront a misconduct case that was still unfolding. The House Ethics Committee had announced the investigation on March 4, after the nonpartisan Office of Congressional Conduct said there was “a substantial reason to believe” the third-term Republican violated House rules.

The allegations center on Regina Santos-Aviles, Gonzales’ regional district director in Uvalde, who started working for him in November 2021. Text messages verified by her widower showed explicit exchanges between Gonzales and Santos-Aviles in early May 2024, and an attorney for her husband has alleged that Gonzales coerced her into a sexual relationship. Santos-Aviles died by suicide in September 2025 after setting herself on fire near her home in Uvalde, Texas.

The Ethics Committee said the matter involved possible sexual misconduct or favoritism. House rules prohibit members from engaging in sexual relationships with staff members they supervise, making the allegations a direct test of the chamber’s internal guardrails. Gonzales acknowledged on March 4 that he had made a mistake and had a lapse in judgment, while also saying on a podcast that he welcomed the chance to present all the facts.

The scandal had already altered Gonzales’ political future before his resignation. He announced on March 5 that he would not seek reelection in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, a swing seat along the border, after Republicans increased pressure and the affair became public. Gonzales had won the May 28, 2024 GOP runoff by just over 324 votes out of nearly 30,000 cast, a narrow margin that underscored how fragile his hold on the district had been.

His resignation also exposed the limits of congressional discipline when a member leaves before the process is complete. House members had been preparing to consider expelling Gonzales, and by April 13 lawmakers were still discussing that option even as bipartisan outrage mounted. Speaker Mike Johnson had said the ethics process should play out, but Gonzales’ exit means the chamber’s oversight machinery was forced to work under pressure, with the political consequence delivered before a final House finding.