Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, 35, worked as regional district director for Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) from November 2021 until her death on September 14, 2025. She died after setting herself on fire outside her Uvalde home; the Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled the death a suicide.
In April 2025, Santos-Aviles sent a text to a former colleague saying 'I had affair with our boss and I'm fine,' referring to Gonzales. That text, first reported by the San Antonio Express-News, was independently obtained by other outlets. Her husband, Adrian Aviles, says he discovered the alleged affair in May or June 2024 when he saw sexually explicit texts on his wife's phone. After he contacted Gonzales and staff, he says Santos-Aviles was isolated and gradually sidelined. The couple separated; Aviles says she became depressed.
Gonzales has denied an affair, calling the allegations 'completely untruthful' at a November 2025 event, and in a Wednesday statement declined to address the affair directly, calling the coverage 'personal smears' and blaming primary challenger Brandon Herrera for orchestrating the story. Herrera, who lost to Gonzales by approximately 400 votes in 2024, has called on Gonzales to withdraw; early voting in the March 3 primary began Tuesday.
Santos-Aviles's husband's attorney says he is exploring claims under the Congressional Accountability Act. House rules prohibit member-staff romantic relationships, and a violation could trigger a House Ethics Committee investigation. Gonzales has Trump's endorsement and holds what has historically been a safe Republican seat.
