A Republican congressman had an affair with one of his aides who later died after setting herself on fire outside her Texas home, according to a report.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, who is up for re-election in Texas’ 23rd District, had an affair with his district director, Regina Ann “Regi” Santos-Aviles, the San Antonio Express-News reported, citing text messages sent by Santos-Aviles.
The congressional staffer went into a deep depression when her husband found out about the affair, and then Gonzales ended the relationship. Santos-Aviles, a mother of an 8-year-old boy, died after setting herself alight in the garden of her Uvalde home last September.
A former staffer in Gonzales’ district office who worked closely with Santos-Aviles shared text messages seen by the Express-News in which she told him: “I had (sic) affair with our boss and I’m fine. You will be fine.”
The unnamed staffer said he told Gonzales that he was concerned about Santos-Aviles’ mental state in the months before her death, but the lawmaker failed to act. The former aide has since left Gonzales’ office because he felt he could no longer sell the lawmaker’s “message and his ideals.”
Rumors that Gonzales, who is married with six children, was having an affair had been circulating for some time and were allegedly known to some staff members during the 2024 election cycle.
In January, a spokesperson for Gonzales told the Daily Mail that those pushing the allegations are “political bottom feeders” trying to “distort” the circumstances around Santos-Aviles’ tragic death.
Bobby Barrera, an attorney for Santos-Aviles’ husband, Adrian Aviles, told the Express-News that the affair “was not a secret among the staff.”
“It’s common knowledge,” Barrera said. “The staff was clearly aware this event was occurring.”
However, when asked if the alleged relationship had anything to do with Santos-Aviles’ suicide, Barrera replied: “I don’t think so.”
The former staffer alleged that Santos-Aviles began to be frozen out of work after she texted others about the affair in May 2024, including no longer accompanying Gonzales on Uvalde visits and meetings she had arranged getting canceled.
“She talked about Tony every day,” he said. “She went from the number one employee in the office to nothing.”
The staffer said that she started taking antidepressants in the summer of 2025, just weeks before her death. The former staffer also alleged that police were called to Santos-Aviles’ home in August 2025—around one month before her death—following an alleged suicide attempt.
The Express-News editorial board has also announced it is pulling its endorsement of Gonzales in the contested GOP primary for his Texas district.
“The affair is troubling for many reasons. First, it is an act of deception. Gonzales is married and has six children. Second, Gonzales had an affair with a staffer. This was not an equal relationship. Third, while an attorney for Santos-Aviles’ husband has said he does not believe the affair played a role in the suicide by self-immolation at her home in Uvalde, it nevertheless looms over the tragedy,” the board wrote.
“We see a disturbing lack of character from an elected official.”
The Daily Beast has contacted Gonzales’ office and Bobby Barrera for comment.
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
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