A Republican congressman who has been accused of having an affair with an aide who later killed herself is seen railing against “scumbags” in a two-year-old video that has resurfaced online.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, 45, has said the affair allegations were leaked as “blackmail” to unseat him, and he has refused to resign. The husband of his late staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, 35, released disturbing text messages on Monday after he grew concerned about Gonzales’ refusal to acknowledge the relationship.
In the texts, Gonzales, a married father of six, asked Santos-Aviles what her favorite sexual position was, described one he wanted to try with her, and, even after her initial refusal and warning that “this is going too far boss,” still asked, “What do you like?”
Santos-Aviles died on Sept. 14, 2025, after setting herself on fire in the yard of her Uvalde, Texas, home. A clip from 2024 has now re-emerged, in which Gonzales complained on live TV about serving alongside “scumbags” in Congress.
The congressman was on CNN’s State of the Union in April 2024, talking about the threat to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s job. “The House is a rough and rowdy place, but Mike Johnson is gonna be just fine. I served 20 years in the military; it’s my absolute honor to be in Congress, but I served with some real scumbags,” he declared.
He used Matt Gaetz as an example. His political career was derailed after allegations of paying a 17-year-old for sex. He also said former Representative Bob Good of Virginia endorsed a “known Neo-Nazi” in a primary challenge against him.
After it was re-shared to X, the clip went viral again. “Someone should tell him it’s not a competition,” The Lincoln Project, a PAC founded by moderate conservatives and former Republican Party members, responded.
It comes after Gonzales refused to resign in the face of the scandal engulfing him. He told CNN’s Manu Raju as he left the office of House Speaker Mike Johnson that he has no plans to leave his position, emphasizing that he works “every day for the people of Texas.”
