Texts show Rep. Tony Gonzales sent explicit messages to staffer who later died by suicide: "This is going too far boss"
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Newly revealed 2024 text messages show Rep. Tony Gonzales asking aide Regina Santos-Aviles for explicit photos and engaging in increasingly inappropriate exchanges, which she repeatedly pushed back against.
- Santos-Aviles died by suicide in September 2025 after setting herself on fire, with her husband alleging Gonzales coerced her into a sexual relationship that contributed to her mental health decline.
- Gonzales denies the affair and claims he is being extorted, while Santos-Aviles' husband and lawyer dispute these denials, asserting the relationship was real and damaging.
- The controversy has sparked bipartisan criticism, with several House Republicans calling for Gonzales’ resignation amid his upcoming primary challenge, despite President Trump’s endorsement.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson emphasized
