Rep. Gonzales Getting Expelled From Congress?
The disgraced congressman may get further consequences
As if having to suspend one’s campaign isn’t enough, one southwest Texas congressman may face additional penalties in Congress. Rep. Tony Gonzales dropped out of the race after news surfaced last year that a staffer set herself on fire following an affair with him.
The staffer passed away. Now, many people are saying Gonzales should face greater consequences.
Via The Hill:
The Texas congressman ended his reelection bid last month after calls from a wave of Republican colleagues and House Republican leaders, but he said he intends to serve out the remainder of his term.
A couple of House Republicans, though, are itching to see further discipline in light of the new allegations.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who has made her personal stories of facing sexual abuse core to her political identity, last month forced action on a resolution to publicly release all reports on file with the House Ethics Committee on investigations into members of Congress regarding allegations of sexual harassment or a sexual relationship with their staff. The House voted to refer that measure to the Ethics Committee, effectively killing it, with the committee warning it could create a chilling effect for victims and accusers.
“We haven’t forgotten the 357 members of Congress who voted to kill our resolution and keep congressional sexual harassment records buried, and you shouldn’t either when they ask for your vote,” Mace said Monday.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said she would support expelling Gonzales over the allegation.
“NO means NO. I’d vote to expel both him and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. Both need to go,” Luna posted Monday, in reference to the Democratic Florida congresswoman who an Ethics subcommittee recently found had violated 25 counts of Ethics violations related to allegations she used millions in improperly paid federal disaster funds to finance her campaign.
The House Ethics Committee officially opened an investigation into Gonzales the day after his primary to examine allegations that he violated the House’s code of conduct, which prohibits members from having sexual relationships with staff.
That rule does not technically apply to campaign staff who are not government employees. But it is possible that the Ethics panel could expand its investigation to scrutinize that relationship under other ethics rules and standards.
As a result of the perversions first exposed by Current Revolt, a congressman now faces expulsion. If you’ve followed us awhile, you already knew Gonzales as an open borders activist censured by the Texas GOP, who accepted China-funded trips and called anyone to his Right a “Neo-Nazi.”
However, even worse personal details emerged later, culminating in a staffer self-immolating. Later, reporter Bayliss Wagner uncovered messages confirming Gonzales was involved in an affair with said staffer. During the resulting firestorm, Gonzales announced he wouldn’t seek reelection. Granted, it helped he already faced a runoff with popular activist Brandon Herrera.
If expelled, he’ll be the first Texan to be booted from the US House.