GOP leaders call on Rep. Tony Gonzales to abandon his reelection bid after admitting to affair with late staffer
By Sarah Ferris, CNN
(CNN) — House GOP leaders on Thursday called on Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales to abandon his bid for reelection after he admitted to an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide.
The statement, notably, does not call for Gonzales to resign his seat.
“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. In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election,” the statement from Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and other top House GOP leaders reads.
On Wednesday, Gonzales acknowledged the affair with the staffer who worked in Gonzales’ district office in Uvalde, Texas, a violation of House rules. But he had said earlier in the day, despite facing questions and intense scrutiny amid allegations of the affair, that he would stay in the race to hold onto his seat in Texas.
“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said in an interview released Wednesday evening with a conservative talk show host. “Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has. And my faith is as strong as ever.”
Johnson has been under enormous pressure from his conference to deal with the issue.
Prior speakers, from Nancy Pelosi to Paul Ryan, have used their powers to force members to resign amid serious allegations of misconduct. But Johnson – who frequently talks about his deeply religious background – had repeatedly said he would let Congress’ ethics investigation play out, though he had called the allegations “alarming and detestable.”
Some of Johnson’s more vocal antagonists have argued the speaker is choosing to protect Gonzales solely because of his tight majority – which Johnson has firmly denied. The House has a historically narrow margin and currently GOP leaders can only afford a single defection from their ranks to pass bills on a party-line vote.
GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, a frequent “no” vote on leadership priorities, argued the only reason that Johnson wasn’t forcing the issue was that “he’s trying to protect the slim majority,” adding, “But I think he runs the risk of jeopardizing our majority in November because it’s sending the wrong message.”
Fellow Republican, Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, also voiced frustration that Johnson was waiting for the investigation to play out – despite the public allegations.
“That’s the answer for everything in this place. That’s why everybody gets away with everything here,” Mace said.
Gonzales faces fellow Republican Brandon Herrera in a runoff for the Republican primary for Texas’ 23rd District on May 26.
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CNN’s Manu Raju and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.
