Regina Santos-aviles texts spur calls for resignations and release of ethics files
Newly disclosed messages show U. S. Rep. Tony Gonzales asked an employee, regina santos-aviles, for a “sexy pic” just after midnight on May 9, 2024, and pressed the request after she pushed back. The texts and her subsequent death in September 2025 have fueled fresh political pressure and a drive to make congressional harassment investigations public.
Text messages and timeline
The messages include a moment just after midnight on May 9, 2024, when Tony Gonzales begged staffer regina santos-aviles to send a “sexy pic. ” When she told him the conversation had gone too far, he persisted, writing that he was “just such a visual person. ” Her husband, Adrian Aviles, later shared those messages with reporters on a Monday as evidence of an alleged affair between the congressman and his staffer.
Regina Santos-aviles’s role and death
Santos-Aviles worked as Gonzales’ district director in Uvalde and was identified in later coverage as his former regional district director. In September 2025 she died after lighting herself on fire; that death has been characterized as a suicide in subsequent accounts. She and Adrian Aviles shared an 8-year-old son. Santos-Aviles died the day after the incident at a hospital in San Antonio.
Police report and findings
Gonzales had called for the full police report related to Santos-Aviles’ death to be released; Uvalde officials provided the report to reporters on a Monday. The police report states that Santos-Aviles told responding officers she set herself on fire because her husband was romantically involved with her best friend. The report notes the couple had been estranged for several months after what a friend described to the investigating detective as “Regina’s supposed affair, ” which strained the relationship.
Political fallout and calls
Gonzales did not respond to a request for comment. He had said in November that rumors of an affair between him and Santos-Aviles were “completely untruthful. ” As more evidence emerged over the last week, he has largely sidestepped direct denials and instead accused Adrian Aviles of trying to blackmail him and blamed his opponent in next week’s primary, Brandon Herrera, for politicizing the issue.
Gonzales is married with six children and represents the 23rd Congressional District, the state’s largest, which stretches across the southwestern border and into San Antonio. He is facing a tough reelection bid; Herrera, described in campaign materials as a gun rights activist and a YouTuber, is taking another swing at the seat after almost unseating Gonzales in 2024. In ads and on social media, Herrera has hammered Gonzales for having a “taxpayer funded affair with a married staffer, which led to her death by self-immolation, ” as he put it in one post. Herrera has also said Gonzales should step down and rebuffed the congressman.
Mace resolution and House rules
In Lowcountry, S. C., Congresswoman Nancy Mace announced Tuesday that she introduced a resolution directing the House Committee on Ethics to preserve and publicly release records and reports on all of their investigations into Members of Congress for sexual harassment. Mace said, “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. ” She added, “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. ”
The proposed resolution would direct the Committee to preserve all documents and investigative materials related to violations or alleged violations under clause 9 and clause 18 of Rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives. Clause 9 of House Rule XXIII is the rule that 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 the resolution were passed, it would require the Committee to publicly release all reports, conclusions, draft reports, recommendations, and accompanying materials within 60 days of adoption. In a release from her office, Mace said, “Sexual harassment has no place in the institution of Congress. It is time we proved it. ”
News of the messages between Gonzales and his former regional district director, regina santos-aviles, precipitated the new scrutiny and is one of the reasons multiple voices, including Mace, are calling for Gonzales to resign following the release of the messages.
Author Eleanor Klibanoff published a related account on February 23, 2026, detailing the messages and the ensuing developments.
Closing: The combination of the messages, the police report’s account of Santos-Aviles’ statement to officers, her death in September 2025, and the push from lawmakers for Committee transparency has intensified pressure on Gonzales as he heads into a contested primary.
