Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales’ name has come up in an indecent controversy after he was accused of having an extramarital affair with his congressional aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide in 2025.
The first whiff of the scandal broke after the latter admitted in a text message to one of her co-workers that she was having an affair with Gonzales. Regina was married to Adrian Aviles, and the couple had an 8-year-old son.
After Regina’s admission, her affair with the Republican representative became common knowledge among several staffers. A former staffer even shared screenshots of texts exchanged between the two parties while describing their relationship.
It is believed that the scandal erupted when early voting began in Gonzales’ hotly contested Republican primary.
The top Republican challenger to Rep. Tony Gonzales called for him to drop out of the primary race in Texas following allegations that he engaged in an extramarital affair with an aide
He caused a suicide. Must resign immediately. https://t.co/VyUpHhs7xn via @WSJ
— EJ Passeos (@ejpasseos) February 19, 2026
However, Gonzales has denied having an affair with Regina, prompting the latter’s husband Adrian to demand accountability from the lawmaker. The 45-year-old representative addressed the controversy on Wednesday, February 18, and blamed it on his primary opponents.
A statement from his office said, “Ms. Santos-Aviles was a kind soul who devoted her life to making the community a better place. Her efforts led to improvements in school safety, healthcare and rural water like never before.”
Gonzales shifted blame to one of his opponents and called it a story made for a smear campaign.
He said, “It’s shameful that Brandon Herrera is using a disgruntled former staffer to smear her memory and score political points, conveniently pushing this out the very day early voting started. I am not going to engage in these personal smears and instead will remain focused on helping President Trump secure the border and improve the lives of all Texans.”
Months before her suicide by allegedly setting herself on fire, Regina Santos-Aviles wrote a text to a colleague that she was having an affair with her boss House republican fascist Tony Gonzales.
Republicans are embroiled in scandal, crime, adultery and death.
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) February 19, 2026
Now, Adrian has finally broken his silence on the matter. In an interview with the San Antonio Express, he claimed that the politician abused his power and exploited his now-deceased wife. He said, “I said the truth would come to light when it’s time, and the time is now. Tony abused his power. He should have held himself to a higher standard as a congressional leader.”
Adrian added that now that his wife is no longer alive, he does not wish to sit and watch Gonzales spout lies about Regina. He mentioned that all he ever wants is to preserve his wife and their child’s reputation going forward.
Referring to Gonzales, Adrian said, “He talks with two tongues. The Bible says to stay away from people who talk with two tongues. I hope that Tony will stand up and be accountable for his actions.”
Adrian stated that he learned about his wife’s affair with Gonzales through inappropriate messages that Gonzales sent her. He said he saw messages on Regina’s phone where the politician requested that she send photos to him, adding that his wife was coerced into this illicit relationship with the father of six.
When Regina let her staff know about her affair with Gonzales, he severed all communications with her. This reportedly affected Regina’s mental health. She was then forced to quit from the office. She set herself on fire and died by suicide soon after.
Addressing his wife’s suicide, Adrian said to the Daily Mail, “This is something that was an accident. It was something that went too far. Regina loved her son so much. She would never do this purposely.”
Gonzales’ office has not yet responded to the fresh claims made by Adrian.
