House Republican Admits to Affair With Staffer Who Later Committed Suicide: 'I Made a Mistake' 

After months of denials, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) publicly admitted to having an extramarital affair with a former staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide in September 2025.

His admission came as the House Ethics Committee launched a formal investigation into his conduct.

Speaking on "The Joe Pags Show," Gonzales called the relationship a "mistake" and a "lapse in judgment."

He stated he had reconciled with his wife, Angel.

“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales told the show’s host Joe Pagliarulo. “Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has. And my faith is as strong as ever.”

He denied any involvement in Santos-Aviles’ suicide.

Santos-Aviles served as Gonzales' regional district director in Uvalde, Texas. She died by self-immolation in 2025. Her husband's attorney linked her death to workplace harassment and mental distress after the affair was discovered.

“I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing, and in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else was,” he said.

Despite his confession and alleged regret, Gonzales accused Santos-Aviles’ husband of extortion before making baseless accusations about his sexuality.

"Within hours [of Santos-Aviles’s death], her estranged husband reached out to our office and asked, within hours, asked about her death benefits and how he could gain access to her retirement fund. […] It was eerie. It was creepy. […] A few months later, his criminal defense attorney, which I also thought was weird, not a civil offense attorney, his criminal defense attorney reaches out and essentially asks me for money or else, right?” he alleged.

Gonzales claimed that a police report alleged Santos-Aviles spoke about her husband before her tragic death.

“In the police report, this is specifically from the police report, ‘The female subject with burn injuries then stated her husband is g-- and having an affair with her best friend,'” Gonzales said. “I wonder if that had something to do with her tragic passing.”

Before his public acknowledgment, Gonzales had repeatedly dismissed the affair allegations as "blackmail" and "untruthful" rumors fueled by his political enemies.

During his primary campaign, reports surfaced of texts in which Gonzales allegedly pressured Santos-Aviles for explicit photos and conversation.

The House Ethics Committee is specifically investigating whether Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct or dispensed special favors, as House rules strictly prohibit sexual relationships between members and their staff.

The scandal broke during the early voting period for the Texas primary. Gonzales failed to secure 50 percent of the vote on March 3 and is now headed to a May runoff against challenger Brandon Herrera, whom he accused of fueling the gossip about the affair.

Several Republican colleagues, including Reps. Lauren Boebert (Colo.), Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.), Nancy Mace (S.C.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), as well as media outlets such as the San Antonio Express-News, have called for his resignation or withdrawn their endorsements.

Despite the investigation and pressure, Gonzales said he will not resign and will continue his campaign.