U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) has publicly confessed to an extramarital relationship with a congressional aide, reversing his previous denials and characterizing the affair as a profound “lapse in judgement.” The married congressman, who has six children, made the admission during a podcast interview just hours after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
Gonzales acknowledged his relationship with Regina Santos-Aviles, his regional district director who died by suicide in September 2025. The 45-year-old lawmaker stated he takes “full responsibility” for his actions while maintaining that Santos-Aviles’ tragic death was unrelated to their affair. “I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing,” Gonzales told conservative podcaster Joe Pags. “And in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else.
The confession comes at a politically precarious moment for Gonzales, who faces a May primary runoff against challenger Brandon Herrera after neither candidate secured the required 50% threshold in the initial voting. The winner will become the Republican nominee for Texas’ heavily conservative border district in November’s midterm elections.
Text messages obtained by CBS News reveal explicit communications from May 2024 in which Gonzales requested “sexy pics” from Santos-Aviles, despite her twice telling him he had gone “too far.” The following month, her husband Adrian Aviles reportedly discovered the affair and notified other staff members via text message.
According to the family’s attorney Bobby Barrera, Santos-Aviles experienced significant mental health deterioration following the end of the relationship and subsequent workplace harassment. “The deterioration of her mental state was exacerbated by the conduct Tony engaged in,” Barrera told CBS.
The Ethics Committee investigation will examine whether Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct and whether he provided “special favors or privileges” to Santos-Aviles. Gonzales denies showing favoritism, stating that any pay raise she received was part of a “staff-wide pay increase.”
The congressman, previously endorsed by former President Donald Trump, now faces mounting calls for resignation from fellow Republicans including Representative Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina), who has accused him of “predatory behavior.”