House Republican women are taking a stand against their male colleagues’ alleged sexual misconduct after the release of inappropriate text messages that Texas GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales sent to an employee.
Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Lauren Boebert of Colorado are leading an effort to force more public disclosure of largely secretive ethics investigations into sexual harassment claims.
“Tony Gonzales is just the tip of the iceberg,” Ms. Mace said on social media. “There is no place for sexual harassment or unwelcome sexual advances in the House of Representatives. And we won’t let the Washington establishment keep protecting its own.”
The Office of Congressional Conduct, which reviews misconduct allegations and decides whether there’s enough evidence to refer matters to the House Ethics Committee, had begun a probe months ago into Mr. Gonzales’ alleged affair with a staff member who died in September by self-immolation.
Mr. Gonzales has denied having an affair with the aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles.
But text messages that her widower’s lawyer released now show Mr. Gonzales was sending sexually explicit text messages to Ms. Santos-Aviles that made her uncomfortable.
A handful of Mr. Gonzales’ colleagues have called on him to resign, and his case is putting a spotlight on the broader issue of sexual misconduct in Congress.
“Congressional ethics is a joke,” Ms. Luna said on social media. “They have so much dirt on members of Congress, and they do nothing. There is even a slush fund they use to pay people off with your tax dollars. This is part of why the system is so broken.”
Ms. Boebert said on Newsmax that more than $17 million has been paid out to Capitol Hill staffers who have filed sexual misconduct claims, but the circumstances behind those payouts remain private.
“I don’t care if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, the American people need to know if this is the behavior that you are conducting,” she said.
Ms. Mace has introduced a resolution to force the House Ethics Committee to preserve and publicly release all documents and investigative materials it has on lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct.
She has said she will go to the floor on Wednesday to trigger a vote on the measure, which leadership then must hold within two legislative days.
Ms. Mace has led other attempts at accountability for ethical violations. She tried to censure Florida GOP Rep. Cory Mills last year for allegedly assaulting and harassing romantic partners, violating campaign finance and financial disclosure laws, and misrepresenting events of his service in Iraq for which he was bestowed a Bronze Star.
A majority of the House voted to refer the measure to the Ethics Committee, but Ms. Luna and Ms. Boebert were among the seven Republicans who stood with Ms. Mace in support of immediate censure and stripping Mr. Mills of his committee assignments.
Ms. Luna is backing Ms. Mace’s latest resolution to force the Ethics Committee to release documentation on sexual misconduct violations, but is skeptical it will succeed. She predicted members of the Washington establishment “uniparty” will try to kill it.
That’s why she’s asked Tennessee GOP Rep. Tim Burchett, who chairs the House Oversight subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to open an investigation into “how many federal dollars have been spent on the congressional slush fund used to pay off victims of sexual misconduct by members of Congress.”
Mr. Burchett said he “absolutely” would open an investigation and hold hearings. Ms. Luna, Ms. Mace and Ms. Boebert all serve on the DOGE subcommittee.
The three women, along with former Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, were the only Republicans who signed onto the discharge petition led by Rep. Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, that led to passage of a law forcing the release of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case files.
Mr. Massie is cosponsoring Ms. Mace’s resolution to force disclosure about sexual misconduct in Congress.
The measure specifically calls for the public release of records related to alleged violations of two provisions of the House code of conduct.
One is an anti-discrimination provision that bars sexual harassment.
The other prohibits lawmakers from engaging in unwelcome sexual advances toward House employees or other members. That provision also bars lawmakers from having a sexual relationship with any House staff member who works under their supervision or for a committee on which they serve.
The resolution calls on the House Ethics Committee to release documents related to violations of those two provisions within 60 days, with redactions of any personally identifiable information of alleged victims.
“The American people deserve answers. Staff deserve answers. Women deserve answers,” Ms. Mace said. ” No more protection for predators in Congress. We are going to shine a light on every single one of them.”
Ms. Luna has been even more blunt in characterizing lawmakers engaged in sexual misconduct as “clowns” and “predatory freaks” who do not belong in Congress.
“This behavior is reprehensible and a poor reflection on the Republican Party, and I will not tolerate this type of moral rot in my own party,” she said. “NOR should the AMERICAN PEOPLE.”
In Mr. Gonzales’ case, his constituents will get their say on Tuesday when Texas voters choose the party candidates they want to move onto November’s midterm elections.
Mr. Gonzales faces a repeat primary challenge from pro-gun influencer Brandon Herrera, whom he beat two years ago by only 407 votes.
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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