Rep. Tony Gonzales Says He Will Retire From Congress Amid Ethics Probe and Possible Expulsion Over Staffer Affair

Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Republican representing a south‑Texas district, announced April 13, 2026 that he will file paperwork to retire from Congress when the House reconvenes, a move he and later reporting framed as an early resignation taken amid an active House Ethics Committee investigation into sexual‑misconduct allegations. Gonzales has admitted to an affair with a former staffer, Regina Santos‑Aviles, who later died by self‑immolation, and multiple outlets report at least one other former aide accused him of sending sexually explicit messages and pressuring her for nude photos during his 2020 campaign. GOP leaders had already urged him to withdraw from his reelection bid in March, he suspended his campaign, and reports say he intends to step down before a formally scheduled expulsion vote that party leaders were moving to pursue.

The decision fits a broader pattern in U.S. politics: formal expulsions from Congress are historically rare — only about 20 members have been expelled since 1789 — and misconduct allegations more commonly lead to resignations or other departures. Since 2017, hundreds of state legislators have faced harassment or misconduct accusations across most states, and those cases too have more often ended in resignations than in expulsions or criminal convictions. House rules bar sexual relationships between members and staff they supervise, and lawmakers who leave office while under investigation often see those probes curtailed or suspended once they are no longer in office.

Coverage of Gonzales’s announcement shifted over the day: early reports and Gonzales’s own statement framed the move as a “retirement” or stepping aside, leaving some ambiguity about timing and whether he meant to leave immediately or at term’s end. Subsequent reporting from The New York Times and Axios emphasized that Gonzales told colleagues he would resign promptly to preempt an imminent House expulsion vote, recasting the departure as a strategic exit under disciplinary pressure. Social media reflected that confusion and reaction — Gonzales portrayed the timing as providential, others noted the rapid proximity of his announcement to Rep. Eric Swalwell’s resignation and called for broader accountability, while news accounts highlighted bipartisan calls for expulsion and the likely suspension of Ethics probes once members depart.