Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) sharply criticized fellow lawmakers Wednesday, accusing both parties of protecting one of their own after the House voted against a measure that would have publicly released ethics reports involving allegations of misconduct by members of Congress.
Speaking during a meeting of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Luna voiced frustration with what she described as a pattern of Congress shielding itself from scrutiny.
“It’s really disgusting how this institution protects itself,” the Florida Republican said.
The comments came after the House earlier in the day rejected an effort led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) to make public all reports held by the House Ethics Committee involving investigations into lawmakers accused of sexual harassment of staff or of having sexual relationships with staff members.
Instead of releasing the documents, the House voted 357-65-1 to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee. The move effectively halted the push to make the reports public.
The controversy surrounding the vote has focused attention on Rep. Anthony Gonzales (R-Texas), who has been accused of having an affair with a former staff member who died by suicide last year.
According to reporting by the San Antonio Express-News last month, Gonzales, a married father of six, had a relationship with his former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles. Santos-Aviles died in September after lighting herself on fire.
Gonzales has denied any wrongdoing as the allegations have drawn bipartisan calls for him to resign.
The Texas Republican is currently facing a May 26 runoff election against Brandon Herrera in the Republican primary for Texas’s 23rd congressional district.
Following the House vote, Mace reintroduced her resolution during the committee meeting Wednesday in an effort to revive the push for transparency.
Luna used the moment to criticize colleagues on both sides of the aisle, accusing them of protecting Gonzales by blocking the release of ethics records.
“You guys all protected him,” Luna said. “My own side, your side.”
The Florida lawmaker suggested that members of Congress often speak publicly about supporting victims while simultaneously preventing information from becoming public.
“And so if you guys want to talk about victims, if you want to go out and virtue signal, and then you guys are gonna kill [Mace’s] stuff on the floor and then try to pass it,” Luna said during the meeting.
She added that lawmakers should be willing to subpoena the relevant materials if they truly want transparency, but argued that the current approach reflects political maneuvering rather than genuine accountability.
“Yeah of course, we should subpoena all of this stuff,” Luna said. “But just, I’m not gonna sit here and play games.”
Luna went further, saying she believes the situation highlights a broader credibility problem facing Congress.
“I think it’s a complete fraud,” she said. “I think that’s why the American people hate us.”
The exchange underscored growing frustration among some lawmakers who argue that the Ethics Committee process often shields members of Congress from public scrutiny.
At the same time, the House’s overwhelming vote to send the matter to the Ethics Committee reflected strong bipartisan support for keeping the issue within the existing internal review system.
The controversy surrounding Gonzales and the blocked effort to release ethics reports is likely to continue drawing attention as the Texas Republican heads toward his upcoming primary runoff.
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