US congressman Tony Gonzales has refused growing calls from his fellow Republicans on Tuesday to resign amid a furore over allegations that he had an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. The Texas Republican, who is running for re-election, told reporters on Tuesday that he was not going to resign. The US House speaker, Mike Johnson, said earlier on Tuesday that he would speak to Gonzales about the allegations. The three-term congressman has denied the affair and previously said on social media that he is being blackmailed and called the allegations a political smear. But he has not addressed newly released text messages in which he appeared to ask the former staffer for intimate photos and discuss sex acts.

Source: The Guardian February 25, 2026 14:12 UTC