Ex-staffer claimed affair with congressman in text messages before suicide: report
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, at a ribbon cutting event for the grand opening of a Domestic New World Screwworm sterile fly production facility in Edinburg on Feb. 9, 2026. Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune
Republican House staffer, Regina Ann "Regi" Santos-Aviles, who died after setting herself on fire last year, claimed in text messages to have had an affair with Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), according to a report. According to The San Antonio Express-News, a former colleague said Santos-Aviles told him about the 2024 affair and that she spiraled into depression after her husband discovered the relationship and Gonzales abruptly ended contact. A text message screenshot shows Santos-Aviles acknowledging an "affair with our boss." Gonzales is a married father of six. While Santos-Aviles' husband's lawyer said the relationship was an open secret and didn't contribute to her death, a concerned colleague warned the congressman's district director months before her death about her well-being. Gonzales, who recently received President Trump's endorsement, currently faces a tough primary against gun rights activist Democrat Brandon Herrera.