New allegations that Rep. Tony Gonzales sent sexually explicit text messages to a campaign staffer represent the second time the Texas Republican has been accused of sexual advances toward an employee, renewing calls from several Republicans for further action against the embattled congressman.

The San Antonio Express-News reported Monday that Gonzales had sent text messages to the political director for his 2020 campaign, repeatedly pressing her for nude photos while she demurred and describing how he wanted to have sex with her. The two exchanged hundreds of text messages, according to the report.

The staffer, who is a decade older than Gonzales, said the relationship never became physical and that she was single at the time of his advances. She did not resign from her job at the time but later parted ways with Gonzales over political differences after he took office in January 2021, when she criticized him for voting for a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

The latest allegations follow earlier reporting that Gonzales had an affair with his district director, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, who later died by suicide. Text messages extracted from Santos-Aviles's phone and provided to media outlets appeared to show Gonzales soliciting sexual material from her.

Gonzales admitted to the affair, which sparked an Ethics Committee investigation in the House and led to him effectively ending his political career. He ended his reelection bid last month after calls from a wave of Republican colleagues and House Republican leaders, though he said he intends to serve out the remainder of his term.

What the Right Is Saying

Two House Republicans are pushing for 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, referencing the Democratic Florida congresswoman who an Ethics subcommittee recently found had violated 25 counts of ethics violations.

Republican leadership has said that the Ethics panel should have time to complete any investigation to offer Gonzales due process before any House action.

What the Left Is Saying

Progressive critics and some Democratic lawmakers have long argued that the House Ethics Committee process moves too slowly to protect staff from sitting members accused of misconduct. The new allegations against Gonzales add fuel to calls for systemic reform.

Several progressive advocacy groups have called for stronger protections for congressional staff and faster resolution of ethics complaints. Democrats have pointed to what they describe as a double standard in how the House addresses misconduct allegations against different members.

The previous controversy involving Santos-Aviles drew widespread condemnation, with Democrats noting the tragic circumstances of her death and arguing that leadership should have taken earlier action against Gonzales.

What the Numbers Show

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.

The rule against sexual relationships with staff does not technically apply to campaign staff who are not government employees. However, it is possible that the Ethics panel could expand its investigation to scrutinize the relationship under other ethics rules and standards.

The 2020 campaign text messages involved hundreds of exchanges between Gonzales and the political director. The staffer is a decade older than the congressman.

Gonzales received support from 357 House members who voted against the resolution to release ethics committee reports on sexual harassment investigations.

The Bottom Line

The new allegations represent the second separate accusation of sexual misconduct against Gonzales involving a staffer, adding to the controversy that already ended his reelection bid. The House Ethics Committee investigation continues, and two Republican lawmakers are explicitly calling for expulsion or other discipline.

Gonzales's office did not respond to a request for comment on the new allegations. He has not publicly addressed the new report. The Ethics Committee will determine whether to expand its investigation to include the campaign staffer allegations as it examines potential violations of House rules.