GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales Faces Resignation Calls and Ethics Probe Over Alleged Affair With Aide Who Later Died by Suicide
Rep. Tony Gonzales is facing growing Republican calls to resign and an Office of Congressional Conduct investigation after reports that he allegedly had an affair with a former aide who later died by suicide, with NBC‑obtained text messages and newly released Uvalde police records cited in the reporting. Several House Republicans — including Lauren Boebert, Brandon Gill and Nancy Mace — have urged his resignation, Speaker Mike Johnson called the allegations "very serious" but said it’s too early to prejudge, and while Trump, the NRCC and the White House have so far not withdrawn support, the House Freedom Caucus’ political arm has endorsed his primary challenger ahead of the March 3 primary.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- The Office of Congressional Conduct has opened an investigation into Rep. Tony Gonzales’ alleged affair and is expected to turn findings over to the House Ethics Committee in the coming weeks.
- Multiple House Republicans — including Lauren Boebert, Brandon Gill, Tim Burchett, Nancy Mace and Anna Paulina Luna — have publicly called on Gonzales to resign or drop his reelection bid.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson called the allegations 'very serious,' acknowledged he endorsed Gonzales before the allegations surfaced, urged that investigations play out, and said Gonzales must address the matter with his constituents while cautioning against prejudging members on accusations alone.
- Former President Donald Trump, the NRCC and the White House have so far not withdrawn their support for Gonzales; Trump had endorsed him the prior week.
- The House Freedom Caucus’ political arm has formally endorsed Gonzales’ March 3 primary challenger, Brandon Herrera; recent polling shows Herrera leading and the endorsement did not reference the affair allegations.
- New reporting says NBC obtained text messages allegedly showing Gonzales sending explicit sexual requests to Regina Santos‑Aviles, and newly released Uvalde police records say Santos‑Aviles told first responders she set herself on fire after learning her estranged husband was involved with her best friend.
- NPR notes it has not independently reviewed the explicit text messages reported by other outlets, underscoring limits to the publicly available evidence.
đź“° Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 24, 2026
12:28 AM
GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales faces pressure from party over affair allegations
New information:
- Confirms that the Office of Congressional Conduct has opened an investigation into Gonzales’ alleged affair and is expected to turn findings over to the House Ethics Committee in the coming weeks.
- Details that at least four House Republicans — Brandon Gill, Anna Paulina Luna, Lauren Boebert and Nancy Mace — have publicly called on Gonzales to resign or drop his reelection bid.
- Reports Speaker Mike Johnson’s on‑the‑record response calling the allegations 'very serious' while urging that investigations play out, and tying his stance to concerns about accusations alone forcing members out.
- Notes that NPR has not independently reviewed the explicit text messages at issue, underscoring evidentiary limits.
- Adds primary‑election context: Gonzales faces a March 3 primary rematch with Brandon Herrera, whom the House Freedom Caucus’ political arm has endorsed without mentioning the affair allegations.
February 23, 2026
11:32 PM
Rep. Tony Gonzales faces growing Republican calls to resign over alleged affair
New information:
- Multiple Republican House members — Lauren Boebert, Brandon Gill, Tim Burchett and Nancy Mace — have now publicly called on Tony Gonzales to resign over the alleged affair.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson said the allegations are 'very serious,' acknowledged he endorsed Gonzales before they surfaced, and said Gonzales 'has to address that in an appropriate way with his constituents' while calling it too early to prejudge the matter.
- Trump endorsed Gonzales just last week and, along with the NRCC and the White House, has so far not withdrawn support despite the new allegations and GOP backlash.
- The House Freedom Caucus’ campaign arm has formally endorsed Gonzales’ primary challenger, Brandon Herrera, in the March 3 Republican primary, and recent polling shows Herrera leading.
- New reporting notes NBC obtained text messages allegedly showing Gonzales sending explicit sexual requests to Regina Santos‑Aviles, while newly released Uvalde police records say she told first responders she set herself on fire after learning her estranged husband was involved with her best friend.
February 20, 2026