House Ethics Committee opens probe into Gonzales amid affair allegations

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The Hill's Headlines — March 4, 2026

The Hill's Headlines — March 4, 2026

The House Ethics Committee on Wednesday announced that it opened an investigation into Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who has been under growing scrutiny over allegations that he had an affair with a staffer in his office who later died after setting herself on fire.

The panel said in a statement that it voted to establish an investigative subcommittee to examine whether Gonzales “violated the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, regulation, or other applicable standard of conduct in the performance of his duties or the discharge of his responsibilities, with respect to allegations that he may have: (1) engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his congressional office; and/or (2) discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges.”

The announcement comes one day after a Texas primary on Tuesday that thrust Gonzales into a runoff against right-ring challenger Brandon Herrera, a YouTuber who produces firearms content. 

The timing of the panel’s announcement is due to the House Ethics Committee’s rules preventing certain actions within 60 days of a member’s election. The Texas primary runoff is set for May 26.

It is against the House’s code of conduct for members to have a sexual relationship with a staff member.

Several of Gonzales’s GOP colleagues have called on him to resign or end his reelection bid due to the allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer in his district office, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, who died after setting herself on fire in September. 

Rumors of an affair emerged at the time, but came back to the forefront after the San Antonio Express-News last month reported that Santos-Aviles wrote to another staffer in April 2025: “I had an affair with our boss and I’m fine.” The late aide’s widower, Adrian Aviles, also gave his first public interviews in which he accused Gonzales of abusing his power by being romantically involved with her. Aviles’s attorney has written to Gonzales seeking to reach a settlement agreement.

Gonzales in turn said the allegations are a “smear” by his political opponents and that he will not be “blackmailed.” And he referenced a police report about Santos-Aviles’ death, which the New York Post reported said that Santos-Aviles said she found out her estranged husband was cheating on her with “her best friend.”

Text messages said to be extracted from Santos-Aviles’s phone provided by her widower to media outlets, including The Hill, show Gonzales soliciting sexual material from Santos-Aviles as she said he was going too far. Gonzales did not answer reporter questions in the Capitol last month about whether the messages were authentic.

Gonzales has said he will not resign. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Ethics probe.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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