“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.”
Texas GOP Rep Tony Gonzales announced on Monday that he will be filing his retirement from office. This comes after Gonzales announced in March that he would not be seeking reelection following his admission to having an affair with one of his congressional staffers, who later killed herself by setting herself on fire.
"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."
https://twitter.com/RepTonyGonzales/status/2043819211865129159?s=20
Gonzales said in a statement in early March announcing his decision not to seek reelection, "after deep reflection and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek re-election while serving out the rest of this Congress with the same commitment I’ve always had to my district. Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful."
In an interview earlier the same day, Gonzales had admitted to the relationship with the staffer, saying it was a "mistake" and a "lapse in judgment." He said, "I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and 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."
Regina Santos-Aviles, a 35-year-old regional district director in Gonzales’ office, died in September after setting herself on fire outside her Uvalde, Texas home. Gonzales addressed the death, saying, "I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing. And in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else."
Gonzales' retirement announcement came shortly after Rep Eric Swalwell announced that he is resigning from Congress amid allegations of sexual misconduct and a DHS investigation regarding a Brazilian he hired as a nanny.
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