(R-TX), as the congressman advances to a May 26 runoff in the Republican primary for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.
The committee said Tuesday it “voted to establish an Investigative Subcommittee” to determine “whether Representative Tony Gonzales violated the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, regulation, or other applicable standard of conduct in the performance of his duties or the discharge of his responsibilities.”
According to the announcement, the inquiry will examine allegations that Gonzales may have “engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his congressional office; and/or discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges.”
The committee also emphasized that the step does not represent a finding of wrongdoing. “The Committee notes that the mere fact of establishing an Investigative Subcommittee does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred,” the statement explained.
The announcement comes after a prior probe by the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), the independent congressional ethics watchdog. Punchbowl News previously reported the OCC had been examining allegations of an extramarital relationship between Gonzales and a staff member, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, who worked in his office from 2021 until her death. Under House rules, members are prohibited from engaging in a “sexual relationship” with an employee under their supervision.
Santos-Aviles, 35, died in September 2025 after pouring gasoline on herself and setting herself on fire at her home in Uvalde, Texas. She left behind an eight-year-old son and a husband, from whom she had been separated for several months. Family members maintained she did not intentionally start the fire. Surveillance footage obtained by investigators showed she was alone when the blaze began, and the Uvalde Police Department stated it did not suspect anyone else was involved or that foul play had occurred.
Reports about the alleged relationship emerged after her death. Gonzales has previously denied having an affair with Santos-Aviles.
Ethics Committee rules state the panel “shall not accept, and shall return to the complainant” any complaint submitted within 60 days before a federal, state, or local election in which the subject is a candidate. The rules also bar the committee from accepting referrals from the Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics during that same period. The committee may postpone any reporting requirements that fall within the 60-day window until after the election.
The timing of the ethics announcement follows Gonzales’s showing in the March 3 Republican primary.
Gonzales will advance to a May 26 runoff against YouTuber and Second Amendment activist Brandon Herrera. The deadline to withdraw and cancel the runoff is March 18. With 99% of votes counted, Brandon Herrera led incumbent Tony Gonzales in the Republican primary for Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, receiving 43.3% of the vote to Gonzales’ 41.7%, according to the Associated Press.
CNN anchor and chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju confronted Gonzales in Washington, D.C., following the primary results as the congressman waited to enter a car.
“You came in second place,” Raju told him.
Gonzales replied: “I did well. We did well last night. I’m proud of the work we did last night and theres more work to have.”
Raju attempted to ask about the allegations, saying, “Are you denying —” before being interrupted.
“This is my third runoff in four cycles,” Gonzales responded.
Raju pressed further, noting, “But this is the first time these allegations have come up.”
Gonzales answered: “I know how to win run offs. We will win this one as well.”
Raju continued: “When these allegations have been public—”
“I just ran right now,” Gonzales said.
Raju then asked directly: “Right. So are you denying that you had an affair with this woman?”
Gonzales replied, “I will address the allegations today.”
Capitol Hill reporter Juliegrace Brufke wrote on X: “NEWS: @RepLuna tells me she is filing a censure resolution against Tony Gonzales after viewing damning evidence pertaining to his alleged affair with his staffer that later died of suicide. She added that she is ‘on an absolute warpath’ and feels he needs to go.”
Last month, Gonzales told reporters he did not plan to step down. “I am not going to resign,” he declared, adding that more details about the situation would eventually come to light.
Speaker Mike Johnson characterized the allegations as “very serious” but remarked the process should proceed through official channels.
Several House Republicans have called on Gonzales to resign over the allegations, including Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Nancy Mace (R-SC), and Thomas Massie (R-KY). Boebert expressed that the reported text messages between Gonzales and the staffer appeared to show an abuse of power, while Luna commented that the allegations were damaging to the reputation of the House. Mace described the reported messages as “disgusting and inexcusable,” and Massie wrote on X that he was joining other lawmakers urging Gonzales to step down.
