Washington DC - Congressman Tony Gonzales recently admitted to having an affair with a staffer who died by suicide, as a congressional effort to censure him falls flat.

In an interview on Wednesday with conservative radio host Joe Pags, the Texas representative finally confessed to rumors that he engaged in relations with his former aide Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, who set herself on fire outside her home last September.

"Very direct, Pags, I made a mistake – I had a lapse in judgment, and it was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions," Gonzales explained.

"Since then, I've reconciled with my wife, Angel. I've asked God to forgive me, which he has, and my faith is as strong as ever," he added.

Since the rumors first surfaced, Gonzales denied them and attempted to ignore the scandal in the apparent hope that it would go away.

But last month, texts between Gonzales and Santos-Aviles were published, including messages in which the politician pressured his staffer to discuss sex and send him provocative photos.

After only briefly expressing remorse over the situation, Gonzales spent much of the rest of his interview criticizing the media, which he claimed carried out a "very coordinated attack" against him, and the Santos-Aviles' widow, whom he insisted was only after her money.

Amid the scandal, Gonzales has faced countless calls from colleagues on both sides of the aisle for him to resign.

On Thursday, House Republican leadership urged Gonzales to abandon his race for reelection, and the House Ethics Committee announced it was launching an investigation into his conduct.

Despite his woes, President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have insisted on standing by him, with the president giving him a strong endorsement.

With that support, Gonzales managed to win the Republican primary and will now head to a runoff in May.

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, along with several other Republicans, pushed a resolution to censure Gonzales, but on Wednesday the House voted down the effort 357-65.

In an X post, Mace slammed the decision to kill the resolution, writing, "Your government is more concerned with protecting predators than protecting women."

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