JUST IN: Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales Resigns
Another corrupt Congressman has just resigned in shame!
Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales formally announced his resignation on X:
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.
— Rep. Tony Gonzales (@RepTonyGonzales) April 13, 2026
This comes just hours after Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell called it quits.
We covered that here:
BREAKING: Eric Swalwell RESIGNS From Congress
Recently, both men have been embroiled in scandals involving sexual misconduct.
You may recall that Rep. Tony Gonzales had an affair with his staffer who later committed suicide by setting herself on fire.
Previously, Rep. Gonzales dropped his re-election bid, making Brandon Herrera the GOP candidate for November’s elections.
🚨 JUST IN: Rep. TONY GONZALES (R-TX) plans to RETIRE from the House tomorrow, following Eric Swalwell
Gonzales is facing s*xual misconduct allegations.
Looks like a BACKROOM DEAL was struck so that if Swalwell left, Gonzales would too — avoiding an expulsion vote ALTOGETHER.… https://t.co/lWR3uxtZ1a pic.twitter.com/3B9feapBeE
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 13, 2026
JUST IN: Rep. TONY GONZALES (R-TX) plans to RETIRE from the House tomorrow, following Eric Swalwell
Gonzales is facing s*xual misconduct allegations.
Looks like a BACKROOM DEAL was struck so that if Swalwell left, Gonzales would too — avoiding an expulsion vote ALTOGETHER.
Wow.
Gonzales lost his GOP primary to Brandon Herrera, who will be an INCREDIBLE replacement 🇺🇸 @TheAKGuy
GONZALES: “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.”
Before they resigned, both Gonzales and Swalwell were also facing expulsion efforts from Congress.
Amid an investigation into his misconduct, another former staffer stepped forward to accuse Rep. Gonzales of sexual harassment.
The Texas Tribune has more:
Gonzales’ resignation announcement came about an hour after Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California, announced his own resignation from the House. Swalwell’s move to step down came in the wake of allegations from numerous former staffers who said the Democrat engaged in sexual misconduct, including sexual assault.
Members of Congress had planned to bring expulsion resolutions against both lawmakers this week, and numerous members from each party indicated they would vote in favor. Gonzales’ statement did not specify whether his “retirement from office” would be effective immediately, though his prior announcement that he would not seek reelection suggested his latest statement referred to resignation.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, a New Mexico Democrat and chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, had announced plans to bring an expulsion resolution against Gonzales this week. A Leger Fernández spokesperson said she still plans to file the resolution at 2 p.m. EST Tuesday, given the vague language in Gonzales’ statement, unless he files his resignation “effective immediately” before then.
Gonzales, a Navy veteran first elected in 2020, admitted to having an affair with a staffer in early March, weeks after the San Antonio Express-News reported on the extramarital tryst, including text messages in which the staffer pushed back against Gonzales’ requests for nude photos.
After finishing second in the March Republican primary, GOP leaders — including U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson — urged him to drop his reelection bid, and Gonzales followed suit soon after. But most Republicans had stopped short of calling for his resignation or expulsion until the Swalwell allegations brought sexual misconduct to the fore, opening the door for expelling one member from each party without upsetting the partisan makeup of a narrowly divided House.
The House Ethics Committee had opened an investigation into the San Antonio congressman to determine whether he “engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his office” and “discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges.”
House rules prohibit members of Congress from engaging in sexual relationships with their employees.
A former Gonzales campaign staffer came forward last week saying Gonzales had been sexually inappropriate with her as well, including sharing text messages in which the then-candidate had asked her for nude photos and for sex.
The most moderate Republican from Texas in Congress, Gonzales was both an outspoken voice on the need for border security and an occasional critic of his party’s approach to immigration.
His pending resignation will leave Texas’ 23rd Congressional District vacant. Gov. Greg Abbott has the power to set a special election date at his discretion.
Good riddance!
What’s your opinion?