Rep. Tony Gonzales to leave Congress amid inquiry

April 14, 2026

Summary

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales said he would retire after acknowledging an affair as a House ethics investigation continued.

Why this matters

Gonzales’ departure will leave a vacancy in Congress and follows a House ethics investigation into allegations involving a staff member. The case also highlights how misconduct allegations can affect lawmakers’ tenure and internal House discipline.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, said Monday he would retire from Congress after acknowledging an extramarital affair with a 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. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” Gonzales wrote on X.

His announcement came hours after Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat, said he was resigning from Congress following multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.

Gonzales had announced last month that he was ending his reelection campaign but would serve out the rest of his term. It was not immediately clear whether his retirement would take effect this week.

Gonzales spoke publicly about the affair after the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into his conduct. Bipartisan leaders of the committee said it would examine whether Gonzales, now in his third term, engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee and discriminatory practices.

His former staffer, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, died by suicide in September 2025 at her home in Uvalde, Texas. She was 35.

In an interview with a conservative media personality, Gonzales said he had not spoken with Santos-Aviles for a year before her death. He said he had “absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing,” and added: “I made a mistake – I had a lapse in judgment and it was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions … Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has, and my faith is as strong as ever.”

After Santos-Aviles’ death, her husband shared text messages with the Texas Tribune and San Antonio Express-News that he said showed Gonzales had asked her for a “sexy pic,” and that at one point she responded that he was going “too far.” Gonzales did not comment on the texts to those outlets at the time, but accused a lawyer for Santos-Aviles’ husband of “trying to shake me down” for money.

The lawyer said Gonzales was mischaracterizing his client’s claim under the Congressional Accountability Act, which sets penalties for workplace mistreatment.

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