House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is standing firm against calls to force Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, to resign amid allegations he had an affair with a district staffer who later died by suicide, saying investigations should be allowed to "play out."
Johnson acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations but stressed due process over political pressure.
"There are serious accusations, and it must be taken seriously, and I've told him he's got to address that with his constituents and, and he's in the process of doing that," Johnson told CNN.
He continued: "It is my understanding there's an investigation in the state of Texas on these matters and has been going for some time, and the Office of Congressional Conduct has also, it's been reported, they've been looking at it and all of that was news to me. ... You have to allow the investigations to play out and all the facts to come out."
Regina Ann "Regi" Santos-Aviles, 35, Gonzales' regional district director in Uvalde, Texas, died Sept. 14 after setting herself on fire. A former district staffer told the San Antonio Express-News that Santos-Aviles had said she and Gonzales had an affair in 2024.
Gonzales, who represents Texas' 23rd Congressional District, has called the allegations a political smear. He is seeking reelection.
Some Republicans, including Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Nancy Mace of South Carolina, have called on Gonzales to step down.
But GOP leadership is also navigating one of the slimmest House majorities in modern history, with little room for defections and several vacancies awaiting special elections.
Johnson said he has been "intellectually consistent" in opposing calls to remove members based solely on accusations.
"You know, I've been intellectually consistent about this. Whether you're talking about Republicans or Democrats, you have to let the system play out. ... I was against, for example, the expulsion of George Santos, a while back, because he had been accused of a crime and indicted but not found guilty," he said.
"If the accusation of something is going to be the litmus test for someone being able to continue to serve in the House, you'll have a lot of people would have to resign or be removed or expelled from Congress. So, I think you got to allow this to play out," he added.
Democrats in past similar scandals were not forced to resign.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., was linked to a person identified by U.S. officials as a Chinese operative and faced a House Ethics Committee investigation in 2023.
Former Rep. Gary Condit, D-Calif., faced national scrutiny in 2001 over an extramarital relationship with intern Chandra Levy, who later disappeared and was murdered, but did not resign and later lost his primary.
Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Fla., admitted to multiple affairs in 2008 and declined to step down, though he later lost reelection.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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