The House Ethics Committee announced Wednesday it will investigate U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, who is accused of having an affair with a staffer who died last year after setting herself on fire.
An investigative subcommittee will determine whether Gonzales violated the code of conduct amid allegations that he “engaged in sexual misconduct” with his employee and “discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges”, according to a release from Ethics Committee chairman, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest (R-Mississippi).
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The House Ethics Committee is in the process of selecting members to serve on the investigative subcommittee.
Last month, the Uvalde Leader-News reported that Regina Santos-Aviles’ pay spiked in 2024, the same year she allegedly had an affair with Gonzales.
KSAT Investigates obtained records in February showing that several sexually explicit text messages were sent between Gonzales and Santos-Aviles.
The texts, shared by Adrian Aviles, Santos-Aviles’ husband, support his claims of an alleged affair between the congressman and Santos-Aviles.
In an interview with CNN, Aviles accused Gonzales of lying about his alleged affair with his wife.
“We had a cellphone dump on the phone, so it’s forensically proven that it is (Gonzales),” Aviles said. “There’s no way that he can say that it’s AI, that we’re lying, that we’re making anything up.”
After Tuesday’s primary election, Gonzales is now in a runoff against gun rights activist and YouTube personality Brandon Herrera.
Gonzales, who has resisted calls for his resignation, has not confirmed or denied that he had an affair with Santos-Aviles. He has spent months refusing to answer KSAT Investigates’ questions.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.