(CNN) — Embattled GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales is acknowledging an affair with a former staffer, a violation of House rules, but said Wednesday he will stay in the race to hold onto his seat in Texas.

“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales said in an interview released Wednesday evening with a conservative talk show host. “Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has. And my faith is as strong as ever.”

The congressman was responding to a question from Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo, who had asked him if there was “a relationship with this young lady who was working in your office?”

Pagliarulo said at the start of video released of the interview that the congressman would be addressing allegations that he had an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide.

The House Ethics Committee announced earlier in the day that it was forming an investigative panel to probe allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate favoritism against Gonzales.

The committee will determine whether Gonzales “violated the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, regulation, or other applicable standard of conduct” in regard to allegations that he may have “engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his congressional office” or “discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges.”

Gonzales said Wednesday night he looks forward to the House Ethics committee investigation.

“I appreciate the opportunity to be able to provide all the facts and all the details that lead to exactly what occurred in the entire situation,” Gonzales said.

The San Antonio-area Republican would not say directly during Wednesday’s interview whether texts of a sexual nature that he allegedly sent to the late staffer were real.

“I’ll let the investigation play out and share all the different details on it,” he said, adding there is “a whole lot more to the story that isn’t out there.”

He repeatedly denied he had “anything to do with” the late staffer’s death.

“I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing and in fact I was shocked just as much as everyone else was,” he said.

The ethics committee announced its investigation as the Texas Republican has been embroiled in a difficult primary fight that could end his tenure in Congress – a campaign made more contentious by the allegations against him. Gonzales will now face conservative activist Brandon Herrera in a runoff on May 26. The last day to withdraw from the runoff and thereby cancel it is March 18.

Gonzales insisted he would stay in the race, despite the scandal and even after Herrera took the largest share of the vote on Tuesday.

“This is my third runoff in four cycles,” he told CNN earlier Wednesday, adding, “We’ll win this runoff as well.”

Gonzales has repeatedly answered mounting calls from some of his GOP colleagues to step down with defiance.

“There will be an opportunity for all the details and facts to come out,” he told CNN last week. “What you’ve seen is not all the facts. And there will be ample time for all of that to come out.”

Still, top House Republicans have closely tracked the allegations against Gonzales in recent weeks. Complicating the matter for GOP leadership is that House Speaker Mike Johnson is dealing with one of the House’s smallest margins in history, leaving very little wiggle room for the party on the floor.

Johnson said earlier Wednesday he would let investigations play out when asked if he would endorse the embattled congressman in the primary runoff.

“You know I’ve always been consistent: We allow due process and investigations to play out,” Johnson said when asked by CNN whether he would do so.

Johnson reiterated that he has encouraged Gonzales to address the allegations head-on.

“I’ve encouraged him to address it publicly, the voters have spoken,” he said.

This headline and story have been updated with additional developments.

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