Photo: Alamy
Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna filed two resolutions Wednesday against fellow Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas that seek to censure him or remove him from his congressional committee assignments.
The actions follow allegations that Gonzales had an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. The same day Luna introduced the measures, the House Ethics Committee announced it had opened an investigation into the claims.
The probe will examine whether Gonzales violated the Code of Official Conduct through the alleged relationship or breached any laws, rules, or ethical standards while performing his duties in Congress.
Luna’s censure resolution accuses Gonzales of failing to meet “even the minimum standards of ethical conduct by having an affair with a member of his staff,” according to a copy obtained by The Hill.
Her second resolution calls for Gonzales to be removed from his assignments on the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.
It was not immediately clear when Luna plans to force votes on the measures.
Gonzales previously denied wrongdoing and said the accusations are part of a political smear campaign by opponents. On the day Luna introduced the censure measures, Gonzales admitted his affair.
“I take full responsibility for those actions. Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has, and my faith is as strong as ever,” Gonzales said. “When you make mistakes like this, you know it’s never easy. It humbles you, but it’s important to kind of work through it all.”
“I appreciate the opportunity to be able to provide all the facts and all the details that led to exactly what occurred in the entire situation,” he said.
Despite the controversy, Gonzales advanced to a runoff in Tuesday’s Republican primary for his House seat, where he will face Brandon Herrera.
