From NY Post: Embattled Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who just advanced to a runoff in his Texas district’s primary election, admitted on Wednesday that he had an extramarital affair with a staffer who later fatally set herself on fire.
The House Ethics Committee is investigating Gonzales over the claims that he “engaged in sexual misconduct” with a staffer and “discriminated unfairly” by “dispensing special favors or privileges.”
Leaked text messages between Gonzales and Regina Santos-Aviles emerged last month, showing the congressman asked his staffer for “a sexy pic.”
Other texts between Santos-Aviles and a former colleague shared with The Post revealed her discussing the “affair.”
Santos-Aviles, 35, fatally set herself on fire in the backyard of her Uvalde home on Sept. 13, 2025, dying the following day of the severe burns she suffered.
“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment,” Gonzales said on “The Joe Pags Show.”
“And there was a lack of faith,” he continued. “And I take full responsibility for those actions.”
“I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has,” Gonzales said. “When you make mistakes like this, it’s never easy. It humbles you.”
Gonzales said he and his wife have “reconciled” since the May 2024 affair.
New: U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, admitted Wednesday to having an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, after initially denying the allegation. https://t.co/Qxw3wPsLvz
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) March 5, 2026
EXCLUSIVE: Congressional investigators have found “a substantial reason to believe” that Rep. Tony Gonzales had a sexual relationship with a subordinate — an apparent violation of House rules.https://t.co/oCYFiS6GcV
— POLITICO (@politico) March 4, 2026
Read more at NY Post
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