A Republican congressman accused of having an affair with his aide, who later died by suicide, refuses to resign.
Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales, 45, told CNN’s Manu Raju that he has no plans to leave his position, emphasizing that he works “every day for the people of Texas.”
The comments come as new evidence emerges regarding Gonzales’ alleged affair with his regional district director, Regina Santos-Aviles, 35. The married mother of an eight-year-old boy died by suicide last year after her husband, Adrian Aviles, learned of her relationship with Gonzales.
“There will be an opportunity for all the details and facts to come out. What you’ve seen is not all the facts,” said Gonzales, who has tried to dismiss the horrific situation as “blackmail” meant to unseat him. He made the comments on Tuesday as he left the office of House Speaker Mike Johnson—though, according to The Hill, the two did not meet.
Santos-Aviles died on Sept. 14, 2025, after setting herself on fire in the garden of her Uvalde, Texas, home. After her death, a former aide to Gonzales revealed to the San Antonio Express-News that he had been concerned about her mental health months earlier and shared a text she had sent him in which she wrote, “I had [an] affair with our boss.”
According to Bobby Barrera, an attorney for Aviles who spoke with the outlet, Santos-Aviles’ affair “was not a secret among the staff.” The former aide also alleged that Santos-Aviles had been frozen out at work after texting staffers about her affair with the congressman.
Gonzales’ refusal to resign comes as the San Antonio Express-News released further disturbing text messages on Monday. The texts, released by Aviles, were shared in response to Gonzales’ claim that reports of the affair were “coordinated political attacks.” Aviles said he wanted to ensure that neither he nor his late wife would be portrayed as liars.
In the chain of 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?”
“Tony abused his power. He should have held himself to a higher standard as a congressional leader,” Aviles, 40, said about the congressman.
Following Monday’s report, several top female MAGA lawmakers, including Anna Paulina Luna, Lauren Boebert, and Nancy Mace, publicly condemned the Donald Trump-endorsed Republican congressman and called for his resignation.
“As a woman, this is really disgusting to see. Not to mention, it brings dishonor on the House of Representatives. I am so sick of people not calling this crap out,” Luna wrote on X, while Boebert tagged Gonzales in her post and wrote him a pointed message: “RESIGN!”
According to journalist Rachel Bade’s Inner Circle Substack, other Republican lawmakers have expressed their frustrations with House Speaker Johnson, who has not taken any action in Gonzales’ case and said he wants the investigation to “play out” before a decision is made on the congressman’s fate.
“It’s very clear a decision was made that they wanted this to go away and brush it under the rug because of the [House GOP’s slim] margin,” one GOP lawmaker said.
As Gonzales prepares for the March 3 Republican primary in Texas, NBC News reports that the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) has completed its investigation into the alleged affair. However, under House Rule XI—the so-called 60-day rule—the OCC is barred from transmitting its findings because the subject of the investigation is a candidate in an election occurring within 60 days.
The Daily Beast has contacted Gonzales’ office for comment.
