The GOP's "moral decay" was on full display this week after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) refused to hold a Republican lawmaker accountable for his involvement in a sex scandal, according to one analyst.
On Monday, Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-TX) faced calls to resign after it was revealed that he was involved in a sex scandal with one of his aides, who later took her own life through self-immolation. Johnson declined to push Gonzalez to resign, even though several Republicans are trying to push Gonzalez out of office. Gonzalez faces a primary election on March 3.
Joe Perticone, national politics reporter for The Bulwark, argued in a new article on Tuesday that Johnson's decision not to push Gonzalez out was an example of the GOP's "moral decay."
"For now, Gonzales does not feel obligated to step down, and Republican leadership continues to refrain from asking him to do so," Perticone wrote. "This is not just because of the math of the current House majority. It is also a result of the party’s moral decay. In the past, even thin majorities with tough votes ahead have proven capable of ridding themselves of scumbags and criminals when their wrongdoing came to light."
"Past speakers, including Paul Ryan, Nancy Pelosi, and Kevin McCarthy, all dealt with colleagues who had sex scandals, and each pursued resignations and investigations as appropriate," he added. "Johnson appears to have laid down that torch."
