New texts indicate an affair between Rep. Tony Gonzalez and a political aide who set herself on fire.
According to texts obtained by The New York Post, Regina Santos-Aviles told a colleague she “had [an] affair with our boss and I’m fine,” also telling the colleague “you will be fine.” In September 2025, Santos-Aviles doused herself in accelerant and set herself on fire in Uvalde, Texas. She passed away the next day.
“Santos-Aviles’ confession to her co-worker was first reported by the San Antonio Express-News, which subsequently withdrew its endorsement of Gonzales in the March 3 GOP primary, saying the congressman ‘has questions to answer,'” The Post reported.
Rep. Tony Gonzales aide who self-immolated admitted affair with lawmaker, text shows An aide to Rep. Tony Gonzales admitted that she had an affair with the Texas Republican in a text message to a colleague — months before she fatally set herself on fire. pic.twitter.com/hHk9lSBf7I
— NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNahNah) February 18, 2026
In a statement to The Post, Gonzalez stated that he is “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.”
“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,” he continued.
“It’s shameful that [primary rival] 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,” the statement added, blaming Herrera for bringing the incident back into the public eye.
“The 35-year-old wife and mother of one worked as a regional director for Gonzales in the Lone Star State’s 23rd Congressional District, which comprises much of the area of west Texas bordering Mexico, including the western outskirts of San Antonio,” the outlet noted. “The colleague of Santos-Aviles, who provided the message to The Post and has since moved to Los Angeles to work on campaigns there, told the Express-News the affair became known among the congressman’s staff members during the 2024 election cycle.”
The person claims that Santos-Aviles’s husband had found messages between the staffer and her boss “confirming the affair and texted a group of local staffers to expose the relationship.” This permanently damaged her image in the office, according to the former staffer.
However, Santos-Aviles’ mother claimed to The Post in October that she doesn’t believe “reports of her daughter’s affair with Gonzales taking place after she split from Aviles were ‘completely false.'”
“I don’t think it has any merit,” she said.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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