Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, speaks throughout a Home Homeland Safety Committee listening to on Feb. 10 in Washington, D.C.
Samuel Corum/Getty Photos
cover caption
toggle caption
Samuel Corum/Getty Photos
Sooner or later after Rep. Tony Gonzales was compelled right into a Might runoff within the Republican main in his district, the Home Ethics Committee introduced it is launching a proper investigation into the Texas Republican.
The panel voted to set up a subcommittee to probe allegations that Gonzales “engaged in sexual misconduct in direction of a person employed in his congressional workplace and/or discriminated unfairly by dishing out particular favors or privileges.”
This comes after Gonzales confronted rising stress from members in his celebration to resign or drop out of his race after express textual content messages from him to his then-employee Regina Santos-Aviles had been printed in The San Antonio Categorical-Information. NPR has not independently verified these textual content messages.
Santos-Aviles died by suicide final September.
Gonzales has beforehand denied wrongdoing. His workplace didn’t instantly reply to NPR’s request for touch upon the announcement of the ethics probe.
It’s in opposition to the Home’s code of conduct for lawmakers to have sexual relationships with workers.
On Tuesday night time, Gonzales superior to a Might 26 runoff in opposition to challenger Brandon Herrera.
Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has beforehand mentioned that Gonzales wants to handle the allegations along with his constituents, and that he’s entitled to due course of.
“As in each case like this, it’s a must to permit the investigations to play out and all of the details to come back out,” Johnson advised reporters final week. “If the accusation of one thing goes to be the litmus take a look at for somebody having the ability to proceed to serve within the Home, you will have lots of people who must resign or be eliminated or expelled from Congress.”
The Ethics Committee probe may take months to finish. It’s going to announce the members who will serve on the investigative subcommittee as soon as they’re chosen.
