Just after midnight on May 9, 2024, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales begged an employee, Regina Santos-Aviles, to send him a “sexy pic.” When she pushed back, saying the conversation had gone too far, the married San Antonio Republican persisted, saying he was “just such a visual person.”
Santos-Aviles, Gonzales’ district director in Uvalde, died in September 2025 after lighting herself on fire. Her husband, Adrian Aviles, shared these text messages with The Texas Tribune on Monday as evidence of an affair between the congressman and his staffer. Aviles told the San Antonio Express-News, which published the text messages first, that the relationship and the professional ostracization his wife faced after it was discovered led her to become despondent before her death.
Gonzales did not respond to a request for comment. He said in November that rumors of an affair between him and Santos-Aviles were “completely untruthful.” But as more evidence has emerged over the last week, he has sidestepped direct denials, instead accusing Aviles of trying to blackmail him and blaming his opponent in next week’s primary, Brandon Herrera, for politicizing the issue.
