Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales announced that he will resign from Congress after he admitted to having an affair with a former staffer who died by self-immolation.
"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," Gonzales wrote in an April 13 post on X.
Gonzales initially denied the allegations and claimed the reports were a blackmail attempt, the El Paso Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. Gonzales appeared on the Joe Pags podcast, released on March 4, and admitted to the affair, saying he "made a mistake."
He ended his reelection bid in March after U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican leaders called on Gonzales to withdraw from a May runoff for the party's nomination against gun activist Brandon Herrera.
The announcement comes on the same day that Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell also announced he would withdraw from the House as he faces accusations of sexual assault and misconduct. The California Democrat called those accusations "absolutely false."
