Overview
- Published and independently verified messages from May 2024 show Gonzales asking his then-staffer for a “sexy pic” and discussing sexual positions, with her twice responding that he was going “too far.”
- Gonzales denies wrongdoing, says he will not resign, and has characterized the matter as blackmail and a coordinated political attack.
- Regina Santos‑Aviles’s husband, Adrian Aviles, called Gonzales a “predator” on CNN, said he holds additional messages, and insisted his disclosures are not politically motivated.
- Several House Republicans — including Nancy Mace, Lauren Boebert, Anna Paulina Luna and Thomas Massie — have urged Gonzales to resign, while Speaker Mike Johnson says voters should decide in the March 3 primary.
- Reporting indicates the Office of Congressional Conduct finished its review, but election blackout rules prevent transmitting findings to the House Ethics Committee until after the primary, and any full ethics process could take months.