Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales long tried to duck questions about an alleged affair with a former aide who died by suicide, but that strategy has now brutally backfired.
Gonzales ignored requests from local news stations—who were even uninvited from an event the married Republican was attending—for months after the scandal surfaced. He also dodged the scandal when cornered on camera, likely hoping the issue would disappear until after his primary.
Now, a bombshell report by the San Antonio Express-News has renewed national attention to the vulnerable, Trump-endorsed candidate in the first week of early voting, placing his alleged infidelity fresh in the minds of Texas voters heading to the polls.
A Gonzales staff member is quoted as alleging that the 45-year-old lawmaker did “nothing” when made aware that the woman he had an affair with—Gonzales’ former regional district director, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles—was in a deteriorating mental state.
Not long after, in September, the 35-year-old Santos-Aviles set herself on fire outside her home in the Texas Hill Country, the local medical examiner said.
Gonzales did not immediately address the death of Santos-Aviles, ABC’s San Antonio affiliate KSAT reported at the time. Instead, the station reported that Gonzales released a statement only after being approached for comment, saying he was “heart-stricken.” He then went radio silent on the matter—ignoring more than 15 requests for information from the news outlet.
Similarly, Gonzales’ office did not respond to two requests for comment from the Daily Beast on Wednesday. However, it issued a statement to the conservative New York Post suggesting that the Express News article was a hit piece orchestrated by his opponent, Brandon Herrera.
Gonzales told the tabloid he was “not going to engage in these personal smears and instead will remain focused on helping President Trump secure the border and improve the lives of all Texans.”
He added, “Ms. Santos-Aviles was a kind soul who devoted her life to making the community a better place,” he said. “Her efforts led to improvements in school safety, healthcare, and rural water like never before.”
Previously, Gonzales outright ignored and dodged questions about the scandal.
A week after Santos-Aviles’ death in September, KSAT reported that local media outlets were uninvited from an event that Gonzales appeared at that month. A reporter finally caught up with the three-term congressman at a Veterans Day event in November to ask him about the scandal, which he had not yet addressed publicly.
Video of the interaction shows a reporter approaching Gonzales and saying, “Congressman, my name is Daniela Ibarra, I’m with KSAT. We’ve been trying to get a hold of you multiple times.”
He cuts the reporter off while walking and says, “It’s Veterans Day, it’s Veterans Day—I hope you’re talking about veterans’ stuff. Are you talking about veterans’ stuff? If you’re not, you should be talking about veterans’ stuff. It’s a beautiful, beautiful Veterans Day here in San Antonio.”
Ibarra then asks, “We’ve been trying to reach out to you multiple times to ask. Multiple media outlets have reported that you had an affair with Regina Santos-Aviles. Is there any response you have to that?”
Gonzales accused the reporter of being disrespectful for asking the question at a veterans event and refused to address it. He then visibly speeds up his pace.
“We’re here at Fort Sam, at a ceremony, please have some respect,” he says while peeling off.
Ibarra fired back, “I understand, but veterans fought for my right to ask you questions.”
Gonzales then steps out of the camera’s view, quickly pivoting to ask someone how they are doing.
The Republican finally addressed the affair rumors later that week during a panel hosted by the Texas Tribune. He called the rumors about him and Santos-Aviles “completely untruthful,” adding that he is “genuinely untrusting” of media outlets reporting on it.
Tuesday’s Express-News report claimed that the alleged relationship between Gonzales and Santos-Aviles was well known within his office. Bobby Barrera, an attorney for Santos-Aviles’ husband, Adrian Aviles, told the local paper 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.”
A former staff member of Gonzales said Santos-Aviles once texted him, “I had [an] affair with our boss.”
Gonzales, a father of six, represents Texas’ 23rd Congressional district—a majority-Hispanic area that comprises border towns and a sliver of San Antonio.
Democrats hope to flip the seat in November, perhaps explaining why Trump, despite all the negative headlines about Gonzales, endorsed the embattled lawmaker in December over his GOP challenger, Herrera, a 30-year-old gun enthusiast YouTuber who is calling on Gonzales to resign.
Jonathan Saenz, president of the conservative group Texas Values, also said that Gonzales that he should resign immediately if the affair is genuine. The Express-News editorial board also rescinded its endorsement of Gonzales, who portrays himself as a family-first Catholic, because he has a “disturbing lack of character.”
Gonzales’ aggressive response to affair rumors continued into 2026. A spokesperson for his office told the Daily Mail that those pushing the allegations are “political bottom feeders” trying to “distort” the circumstances around Santos-Aviles’ tragic death.
Trump, whose attorneys just sent a cease-and-desist letter to Herrera for using his face on mailed fliers, publicly backed Gonzales again on Monday.
“Tony Gonzales has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
The post How MAGA Congressman Tried to Run From Bombshell Affair Rumor appeared first on The Daily Beast.
