Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, on Monday announced that he is retiring from Congress following the House Ethics Committee launching a probe into him over a romantic relationship with a former staffer who later died by suicide.
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“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” Gonzales said in a post on X.
He did not specify when he plans to step down. Gonzales had announced last month that he was dropping his re-election bid.
His announcement came shortly after Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced that his own plans to resign amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations against him. Calls from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to expel Swalwell and Gonzales grew louder over the weekend.
Two separate measures to remove Swalwell and Gonzales were set to be introduced in the House this week. After Swalwell announced his plans to resign, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., said she would introduce the resolution to expel Gonzales.
Gonzales, who was running for re-election, had announced in March that he would drop that bid after reports that he exchanged sexually explicit texts with a staffer who later died by suicide. Gonzales acknowledged that he had had a relationship with the staffer in a podcast shortly before dropping out of the race.
Later, a second former staffer told NBC News that Gonzales had exchanged sexually explicit texts with her while she worked for him.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
