Republican Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-01) introduced a new House resolution on Monday that would force the public release of congressional ethics records related to sexual harassment investigation into members of Congress.
This comes after recent allegations against Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales (TX-23).
The measure instructs the House Ethics Committee to collect and preserve all documents, reports,conclusions, draft reports, recommendations and related investigative materials tied to alleged violations of clause 9 and clause 18 of House Rule XXIII, which covers anti-discrimination provisions and sexual conduct with staff.
BREAKING: We've filed a resolution directing the Ethics Committee to preserve and publicly release records and reports on all of their investigations into Members of Congress for sexual harassment and unwelcome sexual advances. Tony Gonzales is just the tip of the iceberg.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) February 24, 2026
There… pic.twitter.com/vcY1zzILDd
If adopted, the resolution would direct the committee to release the records to the public within 60 days. Mace explained the reasoning for the resolution in a video posted on X.
“The reason that no one is ever held accountable here in Congress for their transgressions is because both sides protect the other,” she said. “They want power over the people. And so nothing happens. You can sexually harass your employees on the Hill, and there is literally no accountability, no responsibility, no transparency.”
The lawmaker said “this stuff goes on all the time.”
Last night I filed a resolution to publicly release all of the sexual harassment violations of Members of Congress. pic.twitter.com/BTvyKkTBmn
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) February 24, 2026
This comes as Rep. Gonzales faces scrutiny over allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. The Texas Tribune reported on text message exchanges between Gonzales and the staffer, who recently took her own life. The staffer referenced an “affair with our boss” while she worked in the lawmaker’s office. Robert J. Barrera, her husband’s attorney suggested that the messages could support a sexual harassment claim under the Congressional Accountability Act.
Gonzales has denied any wrongdoing and claimed the accusations are politically motivated. He declared that he would not be “blackmailed.” Yet, Barrera claimed the lawmaker “was actively involved in the conduct that caused her to end up hurting herself, not only in manipulating her into an affair, but once the affair was discovered in the workplace.”
This issue isn’t new. Back in 2017, the Office of Compliance revealed that it had paid out more than $17 million in settlements over two decades for a range of cases involving sexual harassment and discrimination. But it did not break down the payouts by the type of misconduct.
The resolution is necessary. But it is about as likely to pass as I am to win a beauty pageant. There is no way lawmakers will approve a measure that could expose them – or their comrades in Congress to the public. But, if they do vote the measure down, we will know exactly where they stand on transparency and accountability.