A congressional aide sent a text message to a colleague confessing to an affair with her boss, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), months before she died by suicide in September 2025.
Regina Santos-Aviles sent the message in the early morning hours of April 28, 2025, writing: “I had [an] affair with our boss and I’m fine,” according to a screenshot of the exchange obtained by the New York Post.
Santos-Aviles worked as a regional director for Gonzales in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, a sprawling region in west Texas that borders Mexico and includes the western outskirts of San Antonio.
The 35-year-old was a wife and mother of one at the time of her death.
Resist the Mainstream previously reported that on Sept. 13, Santos-Aviles covered herself in gasoline and set herself on fire in the backyard of her home in Uvalde, Texas.
The San Antonio Express-News was first to report Santos-Aviles’ text message confession to her co-worker. Following the report, the outlet withdrew its endorsement of Gonzales ahead of the March 3 Republican primary, stating the congressman “has questions to answer.”
Gonzales, 45, is currently seeking re-election to a fourth term in the House of Representatives this November.
The Daily Mail was the first outlet to report the alleged affair between Gonzales and Santos-Aviles.
Gonzales has publicly dismissed the reports. Speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival last November on local station KSAT, he addressed the claims directly.
“In politics, you better have thick skin,” Gonzales said. “I totally get that, but the rumors are completely untruthful.”
Gonzales characterized the allegations as politically motivated attacks, saying it was “people throwing rocks at me, saying I’m doing nasty things.”
Gonzales is married. Attempts by the Post to reach him for comment were not immediately successful as of Wednesday morning.
Santos-Aviles’ mother also previously denied the affair allegations. Speaking to the Post in October, she addressed reports suggesting the relationship began after Santos-Aviles had separated from her husband, Adrian Aviles.
“I don’t think it has any merit,” Santos-Aviles’ mother said at the time, also calling those specific reports “completely false.”
Adrian Aviles is represented by attorney Javier Guerra.
Guerra has stated that his client expressed concern about his late wife’s private records being released publicly.The Post further noted that in December, the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office moved to seal 911 calls, police reports, and other video footage related to Santos-Aviles’ death, doing so in response to media records requests.
