In a saga that has gripped Texas politics and sent ripples through Washington, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) is facing intensifying scrutiny and bipartisan calls for his resignation after the release of explicit late-night text messages exchanged with his former staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide last September. The controversy, which has unfolded over the past year, now threatens Gonzales’ congressional career and reverberates across the national political landscape as the March 3 Republican primary approaches.
According to reporting by News 4 and Fox SA, the text messages at the heart of the scandal were provided by Adrian Aviles, the estranged husband of Santos-Aviles. The authenticity of the messages has been independently verified by multiple news outlets, including NBC News and KENS 5. The exchanges, which occurred between 12:15 a.m. and 12:54 a.m. in May 2024, reveal Gonzales repeatedly requesting explicit photos from Santos-Aviles. In one exchange, Gonzales wrote, “I’m just such a visual person,” after she hesitated to send a picture. When their conversation turned to sexual fantasies and positions, Santos-Aviles twice pushed back, texting, “This is going too far boss,” and later, “This is too far, Tony.”
The revelations have sparked an outcry from both sides of the political aisle. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), chair of the Congressional Democratic Women’s Caucus, publicly called for Gonzales’ removal from Congress and a formal investigation. “Rep. Tony Gonzales’s actions would result in a termination and investigation in any other workplace. The United States Congress should be no different,” she told Axios. She added pointedly, “There is a pervasive issue in this country that powerful men can take sexual advantage of women and get away with it—from Epstein to Gonzales. Sadly, women end up paying the consequences, not men.”
Republican colleagues have not remained silent. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told Axios, “He needs to go,” echoing a sentiment that’s gained traction among conservatives. Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna was even more direct in a widely shared post on X: “The entire Texas delegation, as well as every single other Member of Congress, should be condemning a sitting Member of Congress asking for explicit photos of their staff. As a woman, this is really disgusting to see. Not to mention, it brings dishonor on the House of Representatives. I am so sick of people not calling this crap out. Again, like I’ve said before, this is not the only case of this crap up here. @RepTonyGonzales, shame on you.”
The timeline of events paints a harrowing picture. Santos-Aviles, who had worked for Gonzales since 2021 in a district covering San Antonio and Uvalde, was found with severe burns outside her Uvalde home on September 13, 2025. The Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled her death a suicide by self-immolation. According to Uvalde police records cited by the San Antonio Express-News, Santos-Aviles told first responders that she set herself on fire after discovering her husband was cheating on her with her best friend. Surveillance footage confirmed she was alone in her backyard at the time.
The affair allegations surfaced publicly when Adrian Aviles informed Gonzales’ staff in June 2024 that he and his wife were divorcing after his discovery of the messages and photos. In a group chat, he wrote that Santos-Aviles “had [an] affair with your boss Tony Gonzales for some time now.” The situation escalated with the involvement of Aviles’ attorney, Bobby Barrera, who has indicated that workplace or sexual harassment litigation and libel litigation against Gonzales are under consideration.
Gonzales has consistently denied the affair. At the Texas Tribune Festival in November 2025, he called the rumors “completely untruthful” and stated, “Regina’s family has asked for privacy. If it was your family or any of our families, I would argue that you would want privacy as well. I don’t know exactly what happened. I’m waiting for a final report, I think that would make a lot of sense. But I would like everyone to remember Regina for all the wonderful things that she did for our community.” However, in recent statements, he has avoided directly denying the affair, instead labeling the allegations as politically motivated attacks orchestrated by his primary opponent, Brandon Herrera. “It’s shameful that Brandon Herrera is using a disgruntled former staffer to smear her memory and score political points, conveniently pushing this out the very day early voting started,” Gonzales said in a statement to NBC News. “I am 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.”
The Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) opened an investigation into Gonzales’ relationship with Santos-Aviles, but procedural rules prevent the OCC from transmitting its findings to the House Ethics Committee within 60 days of an election involving the member in question. This timing has fueled further frustration among those seeking accountability, as the March 3 primary looms large.
The House Freedom Caucus, which represents the right wing of the GOP, has endorsed Herrera in the primary, intensifying the pressure on Gonzales. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who presides over a razor-thin Republican majority, offered a cautious response, telling reporters on February 23, “The allegations are very serious, but it is too early for anybody to prejudge any of that.”
Meanwhile, the political and personal fallout continues. The Aviles family, through their attorney, has expressed frustration with Gonzales’ ongoing denials. “His constant denials are what finally spurred Adrian to say, ‘I am tired of Tony calling my wife a liar, calling me a liar, calling his staffer a liar, when the only liar around is Tony Gonzales,’” Barrera told News 4 and Fox SA. Adrian Aviles, for his part, said he had delayed coming forward to protect his young son from the details, but felt compelled to act after Gonzales’ public statements.
Despite the gravity of the allegations, Democratic leaders have largely refrained from making the issue a partisan flashpoint, with senior lawmakers telling Axios that the party is deferring to Republicans to address the scandal. “There is never not drama on the Republican side,” one House Democrat commented, reflecting a sense of fatigue and exasperation with the ongoing turmoil.
For the people of Texas’s 23rd Congressional District, the scandal has cast a shadow over their representation in Washington. As early voting begins and the primary approaches, voters are left to weigh the serious ethical questions raised by the case against Gonzales’ legislative record and denials. With the OCC report in limbo and the House Ethics Committee unable to act until after the election, the outcome of the March 3 primary may determine not just Gonzales’ political future, but also the broader standards of accountability in Congress.
The story of Regina Santos-Aviles—a dedicated public servant whose life ended in tragedy—now stands at the center of a debate over power, accountability, and the treatment of women in American politics. As the facts continue to emerge, the nation watches closely to see what, if any, consequences will follow for those involved.