Gop Rep. Tony Gonzales Faces Pressure From Party Over Affair Allegations - Beritaja

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, is seen present astatine a news convention connected separator information extracurricular of the U.S. Capitol Building connected November 14, 2023. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

Rep. Tony Gonzales is facing mounting unit from wrong his ain statement to resign amid caller specifications of an alleged matter betwixt the Texas Republican and a staffer who later died by suicide.

At slightest 4 House Republicans person called connected Gonzales to either resign aliases extremity his bid for reelection after definitive matter messages surfaced from Gonzales to his then-employee Regina Santos-Aviles, who later died after mounting herself connected fire.

"America deserves better. Tony should driblet retired of the race," posted Texas Republican Rep. Brandon Gill connected Monday.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., agreed, writing: "Tony, you should driblet retired of the race."

GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Nancy Mace of South Carolina person called for Gonzales to resign.

Gonzales' agency did not respond to a petition for comment, but the congressman has antecedently denied the allegations.

BERITAJA has not independently reviewed the matter messages.

The firestorm comes arsenic House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is clinging to a razor-thin mostly successful the little chamber. Republicans presently person a 4-seat mostly and location is speculation further members pinch status plans could time off up of this year's midterm elections.

Gonzales is already facing a probe into the alleged matter by the Office of Congressional Conduct, an independent House office, according to a root acquainted pinch the matter who was not authorized to talk it publicly. The OCC is expected to move complete their findings to the House Ethics Committee successful the coming weeks.

Asked whether Gonzales should resign, Johnson called the allegations "very serious" and said the process has to play out.

"As successful each lawsuit for illustration this, you person to let the investigations to play retired and each the facts to travel out," Johnson told reporters connected Monday. "If the accusation of thing is going to beryllium the litmus trial for personification being capable to proceed to service successful the House, you'll person a batch of group who would person to resign aliases beryllium removed aliases expelled from Congress."

Gonzales is successful his 3rd word representing Texas' 23rd legislature district, a spot successful southbound Texas. He faces a reliable superior title connected March 3, and could caput into a repetition of a Republican runoff successful 2024 that saw him separator retired blimpish YouTuber Brandon Herrera by only about 350 votes.

Herrera, a vocal weapon authorities protagonist known arsenic "the AK guy," drew the backing of respective Republicans, including members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.

In the midst of the fallout connected Monday, the governmental limb of the House Freedom Caucus weighed successful to endorse Herrera. The group, whose members person antecedently attacked Gonzales arsenic not blimpish enough, made nary mention of the allegations successful its endorsement.

"Brandon is simply a bold, unapologetic defender of the Second Amendment and a patient champion of the law authorities that safeguard our freedoms," the Freedom Caucus Fund said successful a connection connected X.