Second staffer says Rep. Tony Gonzales sent her sexually explicit text messages

CongressSecond staffer says Rep. Tony Gonzales sent her sexually explicit text messagesGonzales, R-Texas, dropped his re-election bid after the House Ethics Committee launched a probe into his conduct with another former staff member.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 6, 2026, 4:25 PM EDTBy Scott Wong and Ben KamisarA second former staffer of Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, tells NBC News he sent sexually explicit text messages to her while she was working for him.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The San Antonio Express-News first reported that Gonzales, who is married and a father of six, texted the woman, repeatedly asking for sex and nude photos.On Monday, NBC News spoke with the woman, who worked as Gonzales’s political director on his first campaign in 2020. She said that all of the details and text messages cited in the San Antonio Express-News were accurate.The former campaign staffer said she is coming forward now because she believes Gonzales should be held accountable for his past actions. NBC generally does not name alleged victims of sexual harassment.For more on this story, watch "Hallie Jackson NOW" on NBC News NOW at 5 p.m. ET.The new revelations come one month after Gonzales dropped out of his primary runoff after the House Ethics Committee said it was investigating his relationship with another woman, a congressional aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide last year. Gonzales had exchanged sexually explicit messages with Santos-Aviles in May 2024, according to messages obtained by NBC News and confirmed by her widower.Gonzales said in a podcast appearance last month that he had “made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment,” appearing to reference the Santos-Aviles affair.The Ethics Committee declined...