In a recent development, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) has been accused of “abusing his power” in an alleged affair with his staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, who later tragically ended her life by self-immolation. These allegations were brought forth by her widower, Adrian Aviles, marking his first public statement on the matter.
Aviles contends that the congressman, who is married, should face consequences for engaging in a romantic relationship with his wife. Santos-Aviles, who worked under Gonzales, reportedly faced exclusion by the Texas Republican following the revelation of their purported affair.
“I believed the truth would eventually surface, and that time has come,” Aviles shared in an interview with the San Antonio Express-News. “Tony violated his responsibilities. As a congressional leader, he should have adhered to a higher moral code.”
He further expressed, “I urge Tony to accept responsibility for his actions.”
Aviles, who is 40, recounted how he uncovered the alleged affair on the evening of May 31, 2024. Returning home from a jiu-jitsu session, he noticed Santos-Aviles engaged in a text conversation with Gonzales.
“I glanced over her shoulder and saw her messaging Tony,” Aviles remembered.
When he questioned her about the messages, his wife told him, “You’re not going to like what you see.”
After taking the phone away from his wife and leaving the house, Aviles said he found texts from Gonzales to Santos-Aviles that were “very sexual in nature.”
It appeared that Gonzales had been having an affair with Santos-Aviles for at least two weeks, the husband said.
On Sept. 13, 2025, Santos-Aviles covered herself in gasoline before lighting herself ablaze in the backyard of her Uvalde, Texas, home. She died of her injuries the following day.
Aviles said he’s speaking out now because he “couldn’t bear to sit by” and listen to Gonzales “lie on my wife’s name.”
The lawmaker has not denied that he had an affair with Santos-Aviles.
Gonzales told The Post in a statement Wednesday — before the San Antonio Express-News published its interview with Aviles — that 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.”
“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.”
“It’s shameful that [primary rival] 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,” the lawmaker added.
