Congressman Tony Gonzales embroiled in alleged affair as Johnson refuses to back resignation calls

US House Speaker Mike Johnson is resisting mounting pressure to push Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales to resign over allegations he had an affair with a district staffer who later died by suicide, saying investigations must run their course.

Johnson called the accusations “very serious” and said he has urged the Texas lawmaker to address the matter directly with constituents, but stopped short of demanding he step aside.

“There are serious accusations, and it must be taken seriously, and I’ve told him he’s got to address that with his constituents,” Johnson told CNN, adding that Gonzales is in the process of doing so.

The controversy is intensifying ahead of the March 3 Republican primary in Texas. Gonzales has denied having an affair and claims he is being blackmailed. However, text messages obtained by CNN from the staffer’s husband appear to show the congressman sending explicit messages, including one request for a “sexy pic”.

Johnson had previously endorsed Gonzales’ re-election campaign in the San Antonio-area district, where he faces a tough Republican primary challenge from YouTube personality Brandon Herrera, who also ran against him in 2024.

“I endorsed Tony before all these allegations came out. They’re obviously very serious,” Johnson said earlier on Monday, adding it was too early to prejudge the outcome.

Calls for Gonzales to step down are now coming from within his own party. Republican Representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Nancy Mace of South Carolina publicly urged his resignation on Monday, while others have pressed him to abandon his re-election bid.

Johnson said authorities in Texas are already investigating the matter and that the Office of Congressional Conduct has reportedly been reviewing it.

“I think as in every case like this, you have to allow the investigations to play out and all the facts to come out,” he said.

Senior House Republicans are closely tracking the situation while also mindful of the party’s razor-thin majority, according to people familiar with leadership discussions.

Johnson currently operates with one of the narrowest House margins in history, meaning Republican leaders have little room for internal losses as the case unfolds.

Meanwhile, attorney Bobby Barrera, representing Adrian Aviles, said his client’s spouse, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, who died by self-immolation last year, had confessed in June 2024 to having an affair with Gonzales.

Gonzales has repeatedly dismissed what he called “personal smears” and accused Aviles of attempting to blackmail him. Barrera has rejected that claim, calling the allegation of extortion “ridiculous”.