Texas Republican Tony Gonzales Admits To Affair With Staffer Who Died By Suicide As House Opens Ethics Probe

Representative Tony Gonzales has admitted to having an matter pinch a staffer who died by termination past twelvemonth arsenic nan House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into nan Texas Republican.

Gonzales has travel cleanable aft months of being accused of having an inappropriate narration pinch Regina Santos-Aviles, a 35-year-old woman and mother who worked successful his Uvalde office.

“I made a correction and I had a lapse successful judgement and location was a deficiency of religion and I return afloat work for those actions,” nan congressman told blimpish talk show big Joe Pagliarulo successful a bombshell interview released Wednesday.

Gonzales has six children pinch his wife, Angel. He told Pagliarulo that he had reconciled pinch Angel aft nan matter and had “asked God to forgive me, which he has,” adding that his “faith is arsenic beardown arsenic ever.”

Santos-Aviles died successful September 2025in nan backyard of her Uvalde home. Gonzales told Pagliarulo he had “absolutely thing to do” pinch nan erstwhile staffer’s death.

The House Ethics Committee announced Wednesday that it was opening a probe to find whether Gonzales violated immoderate rules successful relationship pinch allegations that he whitethorn person engaged successful intersexual misconduct toward an worker successful his agency and discriminated unfairly by giving typical favors.

When Pagliarulo asked whether Gonzales understood nan powerfulness move betwixt a leader and a subordinate, nan congressman said, “It’s a superior rumor that we person to talk about.”

“I return work for my actions,” Gonzales said. “It’s besides important to cognize each nan specifications and each nan facts.”

Gonzales faced accrued scrutiny astir nan matter earlier this month, erstwhile nan San Antonio Express-News revealed matter messages nan congressman supposedly sent to Santos-Aviles successful May 2024, including 1 that reportedly read, “Send maine a sexy pic.”

Bobby Barrera, an lawyer for Santos-Aviles’ widow, Adrian Aviles, told section outlet KSAT successful an question and reply released earlier this period that Adrian knew astir nan matter and it was nan logic he and his woman separated. The Independent has reached retired to Barrera for comment.

Despite calls to resign, Gonzales is seeking reelection. He was forced into a superior runoff pinch weapon authorities activistic Brandon Herrera aft failing to unafraid 50 percent of nan vote.

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