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Rep. Tony Gonzales admits to affair with former staffer, calling it a "mistake"
| USA | general | ✓ Verified - cbsnews.com

Rep. Tony Gonzales admits to affair with former staffer, calling it a "mistake"

#Tony Gonzales #Affair #Staffer #Ethics Committee #Suicide #Republican #Texas #Sexual Misconduct

📌 Key Takeaways

  • Gonzales admitted to affair with former staffer after previously denying it
  • Santos-Aviles died by suicide in September 2025
  • House Ethics Committee launched investigation into sexual misconduct
  • Gonzales faces runoff election in May after GOP primary
  • Gonzales claims controversy is 'about power and money'

📖 Full Retelling

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday that he had a relationship with a former staffer who later died by suicide, claiming the controversy engulfing the situation is 'about power and money' rather than his personal conduct. 'I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment,' Gonzales told conservative radio host Joe Pags, admitting the affair occurred while reconciling with his wife and reaffirming his faith. The admission came after CBS News obtained text exchanges from May 2024 showing Gonzales sending explicit messages to former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, including asking for a 'sexy pic' and responding 'This is going too far boss.' Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide in September 2025 after setting herself on fire, had previously told a colleague 'I had affair with our boss and I'm fine.' Despite the admission, Gonzales denied any involvement in her tragic death and claimed he was 'shocked just as much as everyone else' when he learned of it. The congressman made these statements one day after advancing to a runoff election in his House district along the U.S.-Mexico border, where he will face hard-right challenger Brandon Herrera in May. His admission also came hours after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into whether Gonzales 'engaged in sexual misconduct' with an employee or 'discriminated unfairly by dispensing special privileges.'

🏷️ Themes

Political Scandal, Ethics Investigation, Workplace Relationships, Mental Health

📚 Related People & Topics

Affair

Secret or unapproved attachment outside a relationship

An affair is a relationship typically between two people, one or both of whom are either married or in a long-term monogamous or emotionally-exclusive relationship with someone else. The affair can be solely sexual, solely physical, solely emotional, or a combination of these. The relationship is co...

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Tony Gonzales

Tony Gonzales

American politician (born 1980)

# Tony Gonzales **Ernest Anthony Gonzales II** (born October 10, 1980) is an American politician and United States Navy veteran serving as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 23rd congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, he assumed office in 2021. His district is notable for encomp...

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Ethics committee (disambiguation)

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An ethics committee is a body that oversees the conduct of medical research and other human experimentation, in USA also called institutional review board.

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Suicide

Suicide

Intentional act causing one's own death

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or academic difficulties), relationship pro...

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Mentioned Entities

Affair

Secret or unapproved attachment outside a relationship

 Tony Gonzales

Tony Gonzales

American politician (born 1980)

Ethics committee (disambiguation)

Topics referred to by the same term

 Suicide

Suicide

Intentional act causing one's own death
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Original Source
Politics Rep. Tony Gonzales admits to affair with former staffer, calling it a "lapse in judgement" By Joe Walsh , Joe Walsh Senior Editor, Politics Joe Walsh is a senior editor for digital politics at CBS News. Joe previously covered breaking news for Forbes and local news in Boston. Read Full Bio Joe Walsh , Patrick Maguire Patrick Maguire Patrick Maguire is an Associate Producer at CBS News based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Patrick Maguire March 4, 2026 / 9:07 PM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that he had a relationship with a former staffer who later died by suicide, but alleged the controversy that has engulfed the situation is "about power and money." "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," he told conservative radio host Joe Pags when asked if the alleged affair took place. "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." CBS News has obtained a text exchange from May 2024 in which Gonzales sent explicit messages to former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, asking her to send a "sexy pic." At one point, Gonzales responds: "This is going too far boss." CBS News has also obtained a message in which Santos-Aviles told a colleague: "I had affair with our boss and I'm fine." Santos-Aviles died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire. Her death was ruled a suicide. Gonzales said in Wednesday's interview: "I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing. And in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else." The lawmaker spoke to Pags one day after the GOP primary in his House district along the U.S.-Mexico border. Gonzales and hard-right challenger Brandon Herrera will both advance to a runoff election in May after neither candidate cleared 50% of the vote. He also spoke out just hours aft...
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