Congressman Accused of Sexually Harassing Aide Who Later Set Herself on Fire Abandons Re-Election Campaign

A lawmaker accused of sexually harassing an aide who later committed suicide by lighting herself on fire, Congressman Tony Gonzales, will abandon his re-election campaign, he said late Thursday. Speaker Mike Johnson and other House Republican leaders called on him to quit the race earlier in the day. Mr. Gonzales has been accused of sexually harassing an aide, Regina Aviles, who self-immolated after she had an affair with the congressman. He admitted to the affair on Wednesday, though he denied that he was responsible for her suicide. In an interview with San Antonio radio host Joe Pagliarulo on Wednesday, Mr. Gonzales expressed regret for being unfaithful to his wife. “I had a lapse in judgment,” Mr. Gonzales told Mr. Pagliarulo. “Since then, I have reconciled with my wife.” “I appreciate the opportunity to provide all the facts and all the details that led to, exactly, what occurred in the entire situation,” he added. After that interview, the top four House Republicans — the speaker, the majority leader, the majority whip, and the GOP conference chairwoman — said that Mr. Gonzales ought to quit his re-election campaign. “The Ethics Committee has announced an investigation into Congressman Tony Gonzales’s conduct, and we urge them to act expeditiously. Congressman Gonzales has said he will fully cooperate with the investigation. We have encouraged him to address these very serious allegations directly with his constituents and his colleagues,” the Republican leaders said in a joint statement. “In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election,” they wrote. Just hours later, Mr. Gonzales said he was calling it quits. “After deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district,” Mr. Gonzales said late Thursday night. “Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful.”On Tuesday, Mr. Gonzales failed to win a majority of the vote in his Republican primary for another term in Congress. Under Texas state law, he and the runner-up, YouTuber Brandon Herrera, were set to face off again in a runoff election in May. Now, Mr. Herrera will automatically become the Republican nominee for this year’s election. Over the course of the last several weeks, Mr. Gonzales has faced calls from fellow Republicans to either resign or not run for re-election. Had he resigned, the GOP majority in the House would have fallen to just one seat, meaning a maverick like Congressman Thomas Massie would have had final say over any party-line legislation that came to the floor. Mr. Gonzales’ decision to stay for the remainder of his term gives Mr. Johnson some breathing room, though some fellow House Republicans are not thrilled by leadership’s decision to simply call on him to drop out of his race. “They oughta fire his ass,” Congressman Tim Burchett, who has called on Mr. Gonzales to resign, told the New York Sun on Thursday after Mr. Johnson and other leaders said Mr. Gonzales should retire. “I think his interview last night was absolutely pathetic. He showed no remorse,” Congresswoman Lauren Boebert — another GOP member who said Mr. Gonzales should step down immediately — told reporters on Thursday. “I still think that he needs to resign.”Mr. Gonzales was accused of having an affair with Aviles by unnamed former aides who spoke to his hometown newspaper, the San Antonio Express-News. Days later, 24SightNews disclosed text messages between Mr. Gonzales and Aviles in which Mr. Gonzales sexually harassed his then-aide multiple times. In one message, Mr. Gonzales asked Aviles to send him a “sexy pic” — a request Aviles declined. When the congressman followed up with a demand that she “hurry” and send the photo, Aviles asked, “Is this a test?”“I just don’t like taking pictures of myself,” she wrote to her boss.“I’m just such a visual person,” he responded. Mr. Gonzales followed up with additional questions, asking what her favorite sexual position was and if she liked anal sex. “This is going too far boss,” Aviles responded. “So how long have you thought I was this hot?”

Congressman Accused of Sexually Harassing Aide Who Later Set Herself on Fire Abandons Re-Election Campaign

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