House Ethics Panel Eyes Action After OCC Finds Substantial Reason to Believe Gonzales Had Affair With Staffer

Nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics says there is a substantial reason to believe Rep. Tony Gonzales had a sexual relationship with a subordinate, prompting the House Ethics Committee to open its own inquiry. Gonzales denies wrongdoing and has resisted resigning; the OCC report details text messages and an alleged coercive dynamic involving Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide in 2025. While OCC can’t impose discipline, its findings guide the Ethics Committee’s probe, which could take months or years as witnesses are subpoenaed and the panel decides next steps amid a Republican-era political mix and a Texas runoff.