Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales accused by staffer's widower of affair exposing text messages

Описание: We have obtained a series of text messages between U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales and his former regional district director, Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide in September.

The messages come after months of speculation about an alleged affair between the two, which would violate U.S. House ethics rules prohibiting members of Congress from engaging in sexual relationships with staffers.

The text exchanges were released to our stations by Adrian Aviles, Santos-Aviles’ husband. News 4 and Fox SA have independently verified their authenticity.

In a May 2024 exchange, Gonzales asks Santos-Aviles for “a sexy pic.”

“I swear my life has been a Telenovela for the past seven days. You don't really want a hot picture of me,” Santos-Aviles responds.

“Yes I do,” Gonzales replies. “Hurry.”

“I just don't like taking pictures of myself,” she says.

Gonzales responds, “I’m just such a visual person.”

The messages, sent between 12:15 a.m. and 12:54 a.m., show Santos-Aviles twice telling Gonzales that things had gone too far.

In a June 2024 group chat message to several Gonzales staffers, Adrian Aviles sent a message informing them that he and his wife would be getting a divorce "after my discovery of text messages and pictures, that she's been having an affair on me with your boss Tony Gonzales for some time now."

The texts add to mounting questions surrounding the relationship and come amid calls for Gonzales' resignation and a congressional ethics review.

As News 4 and Fox SA previously reported, the Office of Congressional Conduct previously opened an investigation into Gonzales' relationship with Santos-Aviles.

Two sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News that the probe has wrapped up, but the OCC cannot transmit its report to the House Ethics Committee within a 60-day window before an election involving a member of Congress in the investigation.

Gonzales is also facing a closely-watched Republican primary election on March 3, as he seeks re-election in Texas’s 23rd Congressional District.

The congressman had previously denied the affair in an interview at the Texas Tribune Festival, but in new statements, he has not denied the affair outright. His office did not respond to requests for comment on the OCC investigation.

In a statement last week, Gonzales said these allegations are politically motivated.

“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,” Gonzales said in a statement. “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.”
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