Gonzales Probe Ends as Campaign Faces Fallout
Office of Congressional Conduct concluded an investigation into an alleged affair with a late staffer; Gonzales denies the relationship and shared a purported $300,000 NDA note as the March 3 primary nears.
Overview
The Office of Congressional Conduct concluded an investigation into an alleged affair involving Rep. Tony Gonzales but cannot deliver its report within the 60-day pre-election window, sources said.
Authorities said former regional director Regina Santos-Aviles poured gasoline on herself, set herself on fire, and died the next day at a San Antonio hospital, and police ruled her death a suicide.
Gonzales denied the affair, posted on X that he 'WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED' and shared a purported lawyer note seeking a $300,000 non-disclosure agreement, while the widower’s attorney denied any extortion.
Public records show Santos-Aviles' salary rose from about $54,000 to $72,000, a roughly $18,000 increase, shortly after her husband discovered alleged text messages, according to multiple sources.
The OCC report is expected to be transmitted to the House Ethics Committee the day after the Texas primary, and Texas will hold its primary elections on March 3 with early voting underway.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a politically consequential ethics inquiry that complicates Rep. Gonzales’s reelection bid, emphasizing timing and contested claims. They foreground opponent statements, OCC procedural limits, and Gonzales’s evasions while noting unverified evidence; language like 'roiled' and focus on bipartisan votes portrays him as vulnerable to intra-party attack.
Sources (6)
FAQ
The Office of Congressional Conduct investigated an alleged romantic affair between Rep. Tony Gonzales and his former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, requesting texts and emails from her husband Adrian Aviles.
Regina Santos-Aviles died by suicide after dousing herself in gasoline and setting herself on fire in September 2025; the Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled it self-immolation with no evidence of foul play.
Gonzales denied the affair, posted on X that he 'WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED,' shared a purported $300,000 NDA note, and called attempts to profit from her death disgusting.
The OCC report cannot be delivered within the 60-day pre-election window and will be transmitted to the House Ethics Committee the day after the March 3 Texas primary, with early voting underway.
A former staffer shared verified text messages from Santos-Aviles admitting an 'affair with our boss,' her salary increased after her husband discovered alleged sexual texts, and her attorney claims to have seen incriminating messages.
History
3 sources