Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) requested a staffer to ship him a “sexy pic” in 2024, in line with textual content messages obtained by HuffPost and different information retailers, undercutting the congressman’s ongoing insistence he by no means had an affair with the girl.
Several of Gonzales’ Republican colleagues within the House of Representatives referred to as on the congressman to both resign or finish his reelection bid on Monday. He’s going through a powerful right-wing Republican challenger in a major election subsequent month.
The staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, died final yr after setting herself on fireplace. Her husband has mentioned she entered a depressive spiral after their marriage collapsed following his discovery of her relationship with Gonzales.
Gonzales continues to disclaim there was ever a relationship, and has even claimed he’s being “blackmailed” as a result of an legal professional for Santos-Aviles’ widower sought a $300,000 settlement over Gonzales allegedly retaliating towards her after individuals discovered about their relationship.
In the messages, despatched after midnight on May 9, 2024, Santos-Aviles resisted Gonzales’ advances. “You don’t really want a hot picture of me,” she wrote. He responded, partially, “I’m just such a visual person.”
And she continued to push again: “This is going too far boss.”
The following June, Santos-Aviles’ husband, Adrian Aviles, texted from her quantity to a number of different staffers in Gonzales’ workplace, figuring out himself as her husband and saying they’d be getting divorced as a result of “she’s been having an affair on me with your boss Tony Gonzales for some time now.”
A spokesperson for Gonzales didn’t reply to a request for touch upon the texts. In a social media submit on Sunday, Gonzales claimed he’s the sufferer of a coordinated political assault.
“During my six years in Congress not a single formal complaint has been levied against my office,” Gonzales wrote. “Now days away from an election, coordinated political attacks reign in. IT WONT WORK. Half way through early voting and the intensity resides w/ TG voters. I’d rather be us than them.”
Gonzales is up towards YouTube gun influencer Brandon Herrera, often known as “The AK Guy,” within the Republican major election subsequent month. Herrera narrowly misplaced to Gonzales within the 2024 major. Herrera mentioned Sunday he’d seen the texts and mentioned he ought to resign.
“It is now clear to me Tony Gonzales is a sexual predator, who abused his position of power and wrecked a family,” Herrera wrote. “I also now know this is not the only case.”
A ballot Herrera’s marketing campaign shared with a reporter Monday advised assist for Gonzales has cratered within the district, which incorporates Uvalde, the positioning of a horrific faculty taking pictures in 2022. Gonzales was one among just a few Republicans who supported a gun reform invoice within the wake of the taking pictures.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) instructed a reporter Monday that the allegations towards Gonzales are critical.
“I endorsed Tony before all these allegations came out, they’re obviously very serious, and I’ve spoken with him and told him he’s got to address that in an appropriate way with his constituents,” Johnson instructed NBC News’ Ryan Nobles.
Several of Gonzales’ House GOP colleagues blasted him in response to information in regards to the texts on Monday. Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) mentioned Gonzales ought to resign, whereas Reps. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) mentioned he ought to drop his reelection bid.
“Congressional staff serve their country. They should never have to endure predatory behavior from the people they work for. Congressman Gonzales must address these allegations and resign,” Mace mentioned on social media.
Aviles instructed the San Antonio Express-News that after he texted his spouse’s colleagues, they “black-sheeped her” and primarily tried to make her stop her job. That’s the premise for a possible legal responsibility declare below the Congressional Accountability Act, a regulation designed to guard congressional staffers from sexual harassment and retaliation by members of Congress.
Bobby Barrera, Aviles’ legal professional, instructed HuffPost he and his consumer don’t blame Gonzales for his spouse’s dying, however they do blame him for wrecking her life.
“He didn’t put a gun to her head,” Barrera mentioned. “But is he the impetus which caused the breakup of the marriage? Of course. Did he do the workplace retaliation? Of course. Did he pigeonhole her and prevent her from advancing her career after the discovery of the affair? Absolutely.”
Aviles initially pursued the authorized declare discreetly, providing to signal a non-disclosure settlement. He has mentioned he desires to guard his 8-year-old son from the scandal that ended his mom’s life. But the story broke open final week after one other staffer instructed the San Antonio Express-News about what occurred.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tony-gonzales-affair-scandal-texts_n_699c788ae4b074e2825adb76