Explicit Text Allegations and Staffer’s Death Intensify Scrutiny on Rep. Tony Gonzales

Newly revealed 2024 text messages allegedly show Rep. Tony Gonzales encouraging an aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, to send explicit photos, prompting her to push back that the conversation was “going too far.” The exchange, obtained from Santos-Aviles’ phone, included requests for a “sexy pic” and questions about her “favorite position,” to which she responded with discomfort and concern about professional boundaries. Gonzales has previously denied having an affair with the staffer and claims he is the target of extortion.

The controversy deepened after Santos-Aviles’ husband, Adrian Aviles, said he discovered evidence of an alleged relationship and confronted the situation by sending messages from her phone to Gonzales’ office. His attorney has accused the congressman of coercing Santos-Aviles into a sexual relationship, an allegation Gonzales denies. According to the attorney, the staffer’s mental health deteriorated sharply after the relationship allegedly ended. Santos-Aviles died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire near her home in Uvalde, Texas; authorities ruled the death a suicide, though the precise circumstances remain unclear.

The revelations have sparked bipartisan criticism as Gonzales faces a primary challenge in his safe Republican district. Several GOP figures have called for his resignation, describing the allegations as disturbing and a potential abuse of power, while House leadership has urged that investigations be allowed to proceed. Gonzales has reiterated that the claims are false and has accused the family’s lawyer of attempting to extract a financial settlement, an assertion the attorney disputes, saying the proposal was a standard confidential legal communication.

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