Regina Santos-aviles texts fuel calls for Gonzales to quit ahead of primary

Just after midnight on May 9, 2024, U. S. Rep. Tony Gonzales sent a message begging regina santos-aviles, an employee in his office, to send him a “sexy pic, ” and the exchange has intensified calls for his resignation as his primary approaches.

Text messages, an aide’s death and what they show

The texts, which include Gonzales telling regina santos-aviles that he was “just such a visual person, ” were shared with a news organization by her husband, Adrian Aviles. The messages have been cited as evidence of an alleged affair between Gonzales and the aide, who served as his district director in Uvalde.

Police report details and family statements

Uvalde officials provided a police report that says regina santos-aviles told responding officers she set herself on fire because her husband was romantically involved with her best friend. She died the next day at a hospital in San Antonio. The report notes the couple had been estranged for several months after what a friend called “Regina’s supposed affair. ” She and Adrian Aviles shared an 8-year-old son.

Gonzales’ public responses and campaign context

Gonzales, who is married with six children and represents the 23rd Congressional District, said in November that rumors of an affair were “completely untruthful. ” He did not respond to a request for comment on the newly released texts. In recent days he has sidestepped direct denials, accused Adrian Aviles of trying to blackmail him, and blamed his Republican primary opponent, Brandon Herrera, for politicizing the issue.

Regina Santos-aviles texts include a request for a "sexy pic"

Text evidence first published by a local news outlet and later shared more broadly has sharpened scrutiny of Gonzales’ conduct. Herrera, a gun rights activist and YouTuber who nearly unseated Gonzales in 2024, has run ads and posts accusing Gonzales of a “taxpayer funded affair with a married staffer, which led to her death by self-immolation, ” and has said Gonzales should step down.

Mace’s resolution would force release of harassment investigations

Congresswoman Nancy Mace announced a resolution directing the House Committee on Ethics to preserve and publicly release records and reports on all investigations into Members of Congress for sexual harassment. “If you sexually harass someone in Congress you do not get to hide behind closed doors. Tony Gonzales showed us what is happening in Congress. But he is not the only one, ” Mace said. “The American people deserve answers. Staff deserve answers. Women deserve answers. No more protection for predators in Congress. We are going to shine a light on every single one of them. ”

What the resolution would require and the ethics rules cited

The resolution would direct the Committee on Ethics to preserve all documents and investigative materials related to alleged violations under clause 9 and clause 18 of Rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives. Clause 9 prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or national origin. Clause 18(a) prohibits Members, Delegates, or Resident Commissioners from engaging in sexual relationships with employees they supervise or who work for their committees. If passed, the resolution would require the committee to publicly release all reports, conclusions, draft reports, recommendations, and accompanying materials within 60 days of adoption. In a release, Mace said, “Sexual harassment has no place in the institution of Congress. It is time we proved it. ”

Next milestones: the primary and pending document releases

The controversy arrives with Gonzales facing a difficult reelection bid and a primary scheduled for next week. He has called for the full police report related to regina santos-aviles’ death to be released; Uvalde officials provided the report, and Adrian Aviles has said the aftermath of the alleged relationship contributed to his wife’s despondency before her death. The resolution from Mace, if advanced, would set a 60-day clock for public release of committee materials once adopted.