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US congressman refuses to resign after allegations of affair with staffer (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 day ago by dude@lemmings.world to c/news@lemmings.world
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[-] apftwb@lemmy.world 27 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

"Affair" is definitely not the right word. Affairs typically don't end in self-immolation.

Also worth mentioning him by name and district for any Texans reading. Tony Gonzales: U.S. representative for Texas's 23rd congressional district (basically the entire Texas-Mexico border area)

[-] redsand@infosec.pub 8 points 1 day ago

HE MURDERED HER AND BURNED THE BODY.

Uvalde Police Department is going to be under another investigation before the last one ends.

[-] apftwb@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

I think that's a stretch. Her husband cheated on her, her boss took advantage of her in this emotionally vulnerable state, she was ostracized/shamed for her actions and mischaracterized in news. I can see that pushing anyone into self-immolation territory.

[-] redsand@infosec.pub 5 points 1 day ago

That specific kind of suicide is unheard of in ones own home and even more for a woman. It's one of the worst eays to go and is the kind of thing one does to make a statement. If she self immolated it would have been in front of him or somewhere public. Uvalde didn't even investigate.

[-] apftwb@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago

So I found a study.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1234584/full#ref18

First off you are right. Self-immolation is much rarer than I thought. This study only had n=51 over 13 years. I have nothing on location of the event.

Also women commit self-immolation slightly more often than men post COVID, but that might be skewed because of women in Asian countries.

As for a coverup, self-immolation is a hellava way to not draw attention to yourself. I think doing it in public only slightly less extreme than doing it at home. Less risk of being stopped halfway through?

It is unfortunate Uvalde PD is handling this. Being a congressman from Texas could definitely allow you to influence a murder investigation in Texas by Texas police.

[-] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 day ago

Let's recap this "affair":

  • Her husband cheats on her with her best friend.
  • The rep hardcore sexually harasses her, did not stop after she complained and eventually gets her to shack up for an afternoon
  • Her husband finds out so he takes her phone, impersonates her to start a group text chat including the rep and all his wife's coworkers, and confronts the rep about fucking his wife
  • In response she is ostracized and bullied by her coworkers
  • She kills herself by setting herself on fire.
[-] officermike@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

What shit people she had in her life. Poor woman.

[-] Bob_Robertson_IX@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 day ago

And odds are all those people are republicans.

[-] Bronzebeard@lemmy.zip 16 points 1 day ago

Way to softball with the word "affair". More like continuously harassed his employee into having sex, then he and the rest of her coworkers ostracized her after it gets out until she lights herself on fire.

This man caused her death through his sexual harassment

[-] U7826391786239@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 day ago

Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and other Republicans in demanding that Gonzales step down

it's still mind-boggling that there are women who are completely unaware, or worse, ignoring the fact that one of the main core values of the republican ideology is harassing, bullying, controlling, RAPING women

yea, it happens on the D side too, but when we find out about it we don't keep fucking voting for them

[-] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

tbf, as long as the affair was consentual and with an adult, i don't really care anymore.

R refuse to go after history's most notorious pedofilies but will cry about an affair?

[-] apftwb@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

consentual

Media is sanewashing this. Self-immolation is involved.

(edit: Not blaming commenter/OP. The media is reporting this as an afair which are typically consentual)

[-] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I was just pointing Republican hypocrisy. made the original coment conditional, because I don't have the time and energy to deep dive on this, I hope he falls and faces real consequences.

[-] apftwb@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Tbh I do agree that affairs happen, everyone clutches their pearls, and its usually a coin-flip if someone resigns. This is definitely not that.

[-] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

after hearing more about the case, I'm now also angry at the press for calling it an affair instead of rape or sexual assault

[-] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

Where did you get the idea that it's consensual?

[-] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

otherwise they would be calling it Rape, not an affair.

[-] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

The power differential makes it impossible to really know how consensual it was.

[-] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

ok man,

I'm not going to die on this hill, just pointing the hypocrisy if crying foul at someone's afair, while protecting Trump. who had so many affairs, and rape accusations and Esptein closest friend.

[-] obelisk_complex@piefed.ca 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Nah dude, he harassed her into it until she said yes. Consensual affairs don't involve official harassment complaints.

Edit: And don't look for anything but hypocrisy from people who protect Trump, it's a waste of time

[-] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

good thing my original comment was conditional. that is definitely not consentual, let him fall, and hopefully jail.

no need to look for their hypocrisy, they openly yell that.

[-] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I'm just saying that this is the kind of situation where one shouldn't take it for granted that it's consensual. I'm not throwing shade, just pointing that out as an important thing to consider.

[-] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

my fucks was on Republican hypocrisy, from what I've learned in this case, it seems like it was not consentual and why is it called an affair instead of sexual harassment or rape??? fuck him. let him burn and hopefully face consequences.

I'm not at any point defended him, just seething in anger on how Republicans are moving heaven and earth to protect history most notorious pedophiles rapists, and then getting upset at what they call "an affair".

[-] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago

That's fine. I'm not suggesting you defended him. I know many people on Lemmy are like that, but it's not happening here.

[-] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago

sometimes I fear Lemmy is becoming like reddit, with every conversation being a fight with no leeway on the smallest things. which makes me more defensive, which makes me part of the problem. sorry.

[-] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 1 points 23 hours ago

No problem. I get it entirely. I've been on your end of it many times. Today even, I had multiple people criticizing something I said without any understanding of what I was even saying.

Thanks for recognizing being defensive there. And I understand feeling that way, it happens to me a lot. Sometimes people are trying to add to the conversation, which is what I intended to do here, but trust me I know all too well that it's far too often "nuh uh idiot, I don't care what you're saying but it's dumb and wrong!"

[-] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago

You really should look into the full story. It's horrible.

[-] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 2 points 1 day ago

This part will end his career, "Donald Trump endorsed Gonzales for reelection in December."

this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2026
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