A barrage of seedy text messages that a Republican congressman sent to a former employee has come to light.
The newly exposed texts, exchanged in June 2020 between Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas and his then campaign director, were reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
They show the Trump-endorsed congressman, a 45-year-old father of six, initiating a late-night visit to the woman’s apartment, pressing her for details about her underwear, offering graphic sexual scenarios, and repeatedly demanding photographs, which she refused to send.
The exchange begins with flattery before Gonzales pivots hard to sexualized chat. After learning the woman, his campaign director, sometimes stays up late, Gonzales asked: “Do you sleep in PJs or something else? If I came over this late… could I leave after one drink without doing anything?”
When she described her sleepwear—leggings and a tank top—he followed with, “What kind of panties do you wear?”
He then showed up, and after leaving her apartment, Gonzales framed what had just happened as a choice the woman had to make. “Okay you have two options… I left… and we continue the mystery. I stayed and we f---ed like rabbits. Which one would you choose?”
She chose mystery, but the rampant representative did not take the hint. The same night, Gonzales told her: “If I come over though your panties are coming off.”
She deflected, noting she never wears underwear with leggings. He replied: “Well played.” However, he resumed the next morning.
When she shared a photo of her legs the following day, Gonzales responded, “Great legs,” then immediately pushed further: “Pic needs to be higher.” She replied: “Nope.”
After she called him persistent, Gonzales replied: “I know what I want and won’t stop until I get it.”
The staffer, who is a decade older than Gonzales and has not been named, told the outlet she never took his advances seriously at the time. It was only after learning of Gonzales’ affair with a second staffer—regional district director Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, 35—and its catastrophic consequences, that she decided to come forward.
Santos-Aviles set herself on fire outside her home last September, a year after her husband discovered the affair. She died from her injuries.
“[Tony] obviously pursued, pursued, pursued her like he did with me,” the former campaign director told the San Antonio Express-News. “I never took him serious… It wasn’t until this poor girl died that I thought, ‘No, this guy is pure evil.’” She added: “This behavior needs to stop.”
Gonzales has spent months dismissing the Santos-Aviles scandal as “blackmail” and “coordinated political attacks.” He admitted the affair in March, called it a “lapse in judgment,” and declared that God had forgiven him. Days later, he announced he would not seek re-election following a congressional ethics inquiry. He will serve out his term through January.
His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the newly reported texts.
