Notorious Republican In Name Only (RINO) Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas is mentioned in the infamous Epstein files, where he is listed as a Democrat. The information was shared in a post on X by entrepreneur and Second Amendment activist Brandon Herrera who is currently running against Gonzales to represent Texas’s 23rd Congressional District.
Gonzales isn’t well-liked among the more hardcore conservative MAGA crowd, both in and out of Congress, due to having a centrist voting record. The Texas Republican has been censured by the Texas GOP for breaking away from the party and supporting gun control legislation and same-sex marriage, though the more establishment members of the GOP still support him.
Perhaps the biggest scandal that Gonzales has found himself a part of involves an extra marital affair that ultimately resulted in one of his aides — his mistress — committing suicide by lighting herself on fire. Regina Santos-Aviles, 35, who served as the regional director for Gonzales for Texas, spoke with first responders who were attempting to save her life after the incident, obsessing over the fact that her now estranged husband was cheating on her with her best friend. Her husband, Adrian, later denied the claims were true.
According to The New York Post, Santos-Aviles lit herself on fire on September 13, 2025. She succumbed to her injuries the following day. The police report described in graphic detail how first responders tried to put out a fire raging in the backyard, while a burnt Santos-Aviles tried to tell officers why she took such a horrific course of action.
A former colleague of Santos-Aviles in Gonzales’ office said, “She used to think Adrian was cheating all the time. Why? Because she was always scared he was going to leave her after what she did with Tony.” The former staffer added, “You have to understand that the affair she had with Gonzales led to sharp mental decline. It led to drinking, medication use, and insecurities.”
In a message exchange from May 2024, Gonzales asked Santos-Aviles for racy pictures, going on to ask her what her favorite sexual positions were. Immediately following the revelation, Republican lawmakers began calling for his resignation. “These text messages are disgusting and inexcusable,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) went on to say in a statement. “A Member of Congress. Harassing his own staffer in the middle of the night.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters, “The allegations are clearly very serious.” He then said that both House and state-level investigations needed to be completed before any action was taken. The controversy hits as the Texas GOP primary is set to take place on March 3. Gonzales is up against popular YouTube personality Brandon Herrera, along with several other candidates. The disgraced GOP congressman is saying that Santos-Aviles widower tried to blackmail him with the disclosure of the text messages last week.
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In 2022, following the horrific shooting at Robb Elementary School, Gonzales broke with his party and became the only member of the GOP to support gun control legislation, a bill that was sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). Cornyn is also up for re-election and could potentially be primaried by Attorney General Ken Paxton.
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