Tony Gonzales Pressured to Resign After Newly Released Texts Draw Bipartisan Calls
Newly released text messages have propelled Representative Tony Gonzales into a fresh wave of controversy and prompted bipartisan calls for his resignation. The developments matter because they have broadened GOP dissent, introduced new evidence in an already charged scandal, and left the congressman’s future uncertain just ahead of next week's primary election in Texas.
Tony Gonzales Faces Bipartisan Pressure
Representative Tony Gonzales was already facing a serious scandal, but on Monday newly released text messages between the congressman and a former aide generated bipartisan calls for his resignation. The release of those messages has drawn explicit demands from lawmakers across the political spectrum that Gonzales step down.
Hard-right Republicans Join Calls for Resignation
Representative Lauren Boebert, a hard-right Republican from Colorado, wrote "Resign!" in a social media post that included images of the text messages. Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican on the House Oversight Committee, urged colleagues to condemn Mr. Gonzales for "asking for explicit photos" of a member of his staff. Representative Nancy Mace, Republican of South Carolina, said Mr. Gonzales should resign immediately instead of "campaigning like nothing happened. " Other GOP officials, including Texas Representatives Chip Roy and Brandon Gill, stopped short of calling for his ouster but urged him to end his re-election campaign in light of the allegations.
Newly Disclosed Texts, Prior Allegations and an Unnamed Aide
Last week the scandal intensified after a hometown newspaper published a text message from Regina Santos-Aviles, a former aide to the congressman, in which she said she had an extramarital affair with Gonzales. Santos-Aviles died by suicide last year. The same coverage noted that a former aide to the congressman came forward to say that Santos-Aviles had told him about the relationship; that aide asked not to be named, citing a fear of retaliation, and provided a text message from Santos-Aviles in which she said she "had an affair with our boss. " That unnamed aide shared the same evidence with other news organizations.
New Allegations: Explicit Texts Disclosed This Week
This week a lawyer for Santos-Aviles' husband disclosed additional, sexually explicit text messages that the GOP congressman allegedly sent to his former aide. The publisher of this article has not independently verified the authenticity of the texts; multiple major news organizations reviewed the messages in detail. At the same time, the allegations themselves have surfaced previously and Gonzales has long denied any wrongdoing.
Campaign, Accusations and Endorsements
Gonzales, a married father of six, continues to say very little about the controversy ahead of next week's primary election in Texas. Though he has long denied having a sexual relationship with his former aide, he has recently accused his primary rival, YouTube personality Brandon Herrera, and Santos-Aviles' husband of trying to blackmail him. The president formally endorsed Gonzales last week, and to date that endorsement remains intact.
House Leadership Reaction and What’s Next
House Speaker Mike Johnson conceded the underlying allegations are "serious, " adding that he has urged Gonzales to address the controversy "in an appropriate way with his constituents. " There is no settled outcome: the near-term question is whether the new disclosures and mounting bipartisan pressure will force a resignation or otherwise derail Gonzales' congressional career in the very near future. Recent updates indicate this remains an open and evolving story; details may change as the campaign and legal maneuvers continue.
