Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls Allegations Against Rep. Tony Gonzales 'Disgusting' And Endorses His Rival In The Primary

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called the texts between Rep. Tony Gonzales and an aide with whom he allegedly had an affair before she committed suicide "shocking and disgusting" and endorsed his challenger in the primary of Texas' 23rd district.

"The entire story is and ended in his staffer, whom he had an affair with, setting herself on fire and dying. TX-23 has an easy choice!! Elect Brandon Herrera!!!" Greene said in a social media publication.

The New York Post reported that Gonzales is trailing Herrera, a YouTuber and firearms enthusiast, by more than 20 points.

The outlet said he would get just 21% of the support from likely voters in the March 3 primary, compared to Herrera's 45%, placing him as the favorite in a potential runoff, which would take place on May 26.

Moreover, 26% of respondents said they were undecided, while former Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco and construction executive Keith Barton got 4% of the support each.

Elsewhere in the poll, 54% of respondents said they had an "unfavorable" view of Gonzales, compared to 24% who said they still support him.

Support for Gonzales is also eroding in Congress. At least four House Republicans have called on him to either resign or refrain from running for reelection.

The lawmakers in question are Lauren Boebert, Brandon Gill, Tim Burchett and Nancy Mace. "He needs to go," Burchett told Axios.

The issue has been making headlines for days, with the latest developments detailing that Gonzales reportedly asked the aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, to send him "sexy" pictures.

The San Antonio Express-News detailed that the requests were made in the spring of 2024 in the middle of a primary fight. "Send me a sexy pic," he told Regina Ann Santos-Aviles," back then the director of his regional district office in Uvalde.

The woman said that she'd had a difficult week, telling Gonzales "you don't really want a hot picture of me." The lawmaker said he did, urging her to "hurry."

After Santos-Aviles said she didn't like doing that, Gonzales asked for one again, saying "I'm just such a visual person." He went on to ask her about her favorite sexual positions and told her he was fantasizing about having sex with her.

Santos-Aviles told Gonzales he was going "too far" twice, but they ended up making plans to meet two days later in Uvalde, where he would be campaigning.

The outlet claimed that Gonzales, who is married and has six children, pursued a romantic relationship with Santos-Aviles. The texts were provided by the woman's former husband, Adrian Aviles, with the outlet later authenticating them.

In this context, Punchbowl News noted that the Office of Congressional Conduct has been looking into potential House rules violations related to the alleged affair. The outlet noted that even if Gonzales wins his primary on March 3 he could face an investigation by the House Ethics Committee depending on the conclusions reached by the Office of Congressional Conduct.