U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales speaks during a South Texas appearance.
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales speaks during a South Texas appearance. Credit: Twitter / @RepTonyGonzales

Disgraced former U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales’ headline-making scandals are still causing problems — this time in Arizona, where a former ally of the one-time congressman has come under fire for accepting his campaign contributions.

U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Arizona, has come under scrutiny from publications in his home state for accepting nearly $30,000 in campaign cash from Gonzales.

Gonzales’ political career imploded last year after one of his staffers, Regina Santos-Aviles, set herself on fire outside her Uvalde home in an apparent suicide attempt. She died days later at a San Antonio hospital.

Initially, Gonzales denied rumors that he and Santos-Aviles had been romantically involved. However, the married father of four later admitted to having an affair with Santos-Aviles and resigned from office after racy text messages between the two came to light in the Express-News.

Gonzales has described Ciscomani as a “good friend” and his “bestie” in the past, according to news outlet AZ Family. At the height of Gonzales’ scandal, Ciscomani also defended him.

“[Gonzales] made a mistake,” Ciscomani told Punchbowl News. “He acknowledged that. It’s going to be up to the voters to decide if he stays in office or not.”

Gonzales isn’t the only controversial member of Congress Ciscomani has taken campaign money from. FEC records show the two-term House member has also accepted some $8,000 from U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-North Carolina.

Edwards is currently under an ethics review over accusations he harassed two women staffers.

Although campaign finance filings don’t show how politicians’ camps use contributions from individual donors, Ciscomani’s campaign has spent nearly $60,000 on legal fees over the past two months, FEC documents show.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...