Rep. Tony Gonzales Vows He Won't Resign Amid Explicit Texts Scandal Involving Late Staffer
'I will not resign'
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WASHINGTON- Embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) asserted he has no plans to resign on Tuesday as an increasing number of GOP lawmakers call for him to step down or not seek reelection after text messages emerged showing the congressman solicited explicit photos and made explicit sexual requests to his late staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles.
“I will not resign,” he told reporters at the Capitol, adding that “What you have seen are not all the facts,” when pressed by CNN’s Manu Raju.
Gonzales, a married father of six, has repeatedly denied allegations of an affair despite Santos-Aviles’ husband, Adrian Aviles, speaking out and a former staffer confirming the relationship.
Santos-Aviles died in September, with the coroner’s report confirming she died of self-immolation.
The texts, which were obtained through forensic download as part of an active legal claim by her widower’s attorney and obtained by 24Sight News, show exchanges beginning around midnight in May 2024, with Gonzales asking his former aide to send him a “sexy pic,” which she pushed back on, replying “life has been a Telenovela for the past seven days” and that he didn’t “really want a hot picture” of her.
When Gonzales responded that he was “just such a visual person,” Santos-Aviles declined again, saying she didn’t like taking pictures of herself. As the conversation continued, Gonzales asked about her sexual preferences and positions. The messages indicate Santos-Aviles repeatedly pushed back. “This is going too far, boss,” she wrote.
Pressure for the Texas Republican — who is facing a tight primary battle against YouTuber and gun store owner Brendan Herrera, whom he narrowly beat last cycle — to face repercussions has ramped up in recent days, with at least six of his colleagues voicing that he should drop his reelection bid.
GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Brandon Gill (R-Texas), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Nancy Mace have all condemned his push to remain in office next term in the wake of the developments.
Mace introduced a resolution on Monday that would require the House Ethics Committee to preserve and release all reports related to investigations into lawmakers regarding allegations of sexual relationships with staffers and harassment claims.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told CBS News the allegations are “detestable,” but feels they need to “allow all the facts to play out.” Johnson told reporters he planned to meet with Gonzales to discuss the matter on Tuesday.
Gonzales has repeatedly slammed the accusations, accusing Santos-Aviles’ widower and his lawyer of extortion in a recent social media post.
Aviles blasted the claims, posting “We have never blackmailed anyone. What we’ve seen instead is a consistent pattern of evasion, refusal to take accountability, and outright lies to protect your image,” on X in response to Gonzales’ claim.
The primary election is slated to take place on March 3.
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