Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales drops reelection bid as House opens inquiry into affair with former staffer | EUROtoday

Embattled Texas congressman Tony Gonzales has introduced he’ll retire from Congress after the House Ethics Committee introduced an investigation into his affair with a former staffer.

“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office,” the Texas Republican stated on X (previously Twitter) Monday night.

“It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.”

It comes lower than an hour after California Democrat Eric Swalwell additionally introduced his resignation following allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and made different undesirable sexual advances towards girls.

Gonzales, 45, lastly admitted in March after months of allegations that he had had an inappropriate relationship with Regina Santos-Aviles, a married lady who labored in his Uvalde workplace.

Santos-Aviles died by suicide at her dwelling in September 2025, though Gonzales has stated he had “absolutely nothing to do” with the previous staffer’s loss of life.

Gonzales beforehand stated he wouldn’t stand for reelection this 12 months, whereas stopping in need of resigning from Congress.

But his place regarded more and more untenable as Republicans in addition to Democrats referred to as for his elimination, with an expulsion vote scheduled for Tuesday.

Last week, one other former aide got here ahead to accuse him of bombarding her with “hundreds” of sexually express textual content messages, characterizing his habits as “sexual bullying”.

In an interview with conservative discuss present host Joe Pagliarulo, Gonzales admitted he “made a mistake” and suffered “a lapse in judgment” whereas denying any accountability for Santos-Aviles’ suicide.

Swalwell, in the meantime, has fiercely denied the allegations towards him, saying it was unsuitable to expell him from Congress “without due process.” Nevertheless, he stated he would resign in order to not be “distracted” from his duties.

“Reps. Gonzales and Swalwell are not fit to serve. They must resign. If they do not, I will vote to expel them,” stated Teresa Leger Fernández, a New Mexico consultant who leads the Democratic Women’s Caucus.

Republicans too had criticized Gonzales, with majority whip Tom Emmer asking him to withdraw from the operating whereas fellow Texas consultant Monica De La Cruz referred to as his actions “unacceptable.”