Republicans are grappling with the fallout from Rep. Tony Gonzales’ public comments about his affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, with some GOP operatives branding his response a “total disaster.”
Gonzales, a married father of six, acknowledged having an affair with his aide, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, 35.
She died in September after setting herself on fire outside her home in Uvalde, Texas, following her husband Adrian Aviles’ discovery of the relationship after repeated denials.
Before his admission, Gonzales had dismissed the allegations as “blackmail” and “coordinated political attacks” aimed at removing him from office.
He addressed the matter on the MAGA-aligned podcast The Joe Pags Show shortly after being pushed into a primary runoff against YouTuber Brandon Herrera and just hours after the House Ethics Committee opened a formal investigation.
On the podcast, Gonzales described the affair as a “mistake” and a “lapse in judgment,” adding that God had forgiven him.
Gonzales further alleged that “within hours” of Santos-Aviles’ death, her husband contacted his office to inquire about “her death benefits and how he could gain access to her retirement fund.”
“It was eerie. It was creepy,” he said. He also claimed that “a few months later” the husband’s criminal defense attorney sought $300,000 from him.
Aviles’ attorney, Bobby Barrera, has publicly rejected the blackmail accusation, stating he was pursuing potential damages through a possible lawsuit on Aviles’ behalf.
Gonzales maintained that the affair was unrelated to Santos-Aviles’ death and said he had not spoken to her for more than a year before she died.
During the interview, he read from a police report alleging Santos-Aviles had claimed her husband was gay and involved with her best friend—claims Aviles has denied.
“Those allegations are completely false,” Aviles told the New York Post, adding that the female “best friend” referenced “is also my childhood friend, and there was no sexual relation between the two of us.”
“I wonder if that had something to do with her tragic passing,” Gonzales said.
The reaction from within his party was swift. One senior Republican lawmaker criticized the interview as a “total disaster,” telling The Wall Street Journal: “Tony Gonzales’ video is textbook case of what NOT to do. He shows no contrition or empathy for his staffer who died, shows no sincerity to his constituents for lying, and actually attacks the widower and family of his dead staffer. And smears the widower as gay.”
Several GOP members, including Reps. Lauren Boebert, Anna Paulina Luna, and Nancy Mace, have urged Gonzales to resign, though he has declined to do so.
Calls for his resignation intensified after the San Antonio Express-News published text messages released by Aviles.
In the May 9, 2024 exchange, Gonzales initiated contact after midnight with, “Send me a sexy pic.” Santos-Aviles replied that she had been having a difficult time and said, “you don’t really want a hot picture of me.”
Gonzales responded, ”Yes I do,” and “Hurry.” She declined again, stating, “No, I just don’t like taking pictures of myself.”
Gonzales persisted, saying, “I’m just such a visual person,” then pressed her for explicit details—asking about her favorite sexual position, describing one he wanted to try, and continuing even after she warned, “this is going too far boss,” before again asking, “What do you like?”
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