SAN ANTONIO – U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales had fought against numerous calls for his resignation amid accusations of an affair with his staffer.
On March 4, Gonzales admitted to the affair with Regina Santos-Aviles in an interview on a YouTube talk show. One day later, Gonzales announced he was no longer seeking reelection for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.
Amid calls for his expulsion, Gonzales announced on April 13 he will file for retirement from Congress. The following day, on April 14, Gonzales officially resigned from office.
KSAT Investigates has spent months requesting records, making calls and gathering documents to gather a greater picture of what led up to Santos-Aviles’ death by suicide.
Here’s a timeline outlining what we know so far:
November 2021: Regina Santos-Aviles was hired to serve as Gonzales’ Regional Director in Uvalde.
May 2024: Adrian Aviles, Santos-Aviles’ husband, discovered sexually explicit texts between her and Gonzales. He believes the two were engaged in an affair.
June 1, 2024: Adrian Aviles texted several of Gonzales’ staffers. He said Santos-Aviles had “been having an affair on me with your boss Tony Gonzales for some time now.”
Fall 2024: Santos-Aviles and Aviles separated, according to Aviles’ attorney Bobby Barrera.
Sept. 13, 2025: Uvalde police responded to Santos-Aviles’ home where officers discovered she had poured gasoline on herself and lit herself on fire.
Sept. 14, 2025: Santos-Aviles died at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, according to her family.
Sept. 17, 2025: Gonzales told KSAT Investigates he is “heart-stricken” by Santos-Aviles’ death.
Sept. 19, 2025: KSAT 12 and other media outlets were barred from an event in San Antonio were Gonzales made an appearance.
Sept. 23, 2025: Uvalde police told KSAT Investigates that Santos-Aviles was alone when she started the fire.
Oct. 30, 2025: City of Uvalde and Aviles asked the Texas Attorney General’s Office to block the release of 911 calls and police reports connected to Santos-Aviles’ death.
Nov. 10, 2025: The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Santos-Aviles died by self-immolation and ruled the death a suicide.
Nov. 11, 2025: Gonzales refused to answer KSAT Investigates’ questions about the alleged affair with Santos-Aviles, which was also reported by the Daily Mail.
Nov. 13, 2025: Gonzales said “the rumors are completely untruthful” at a Texas Tribune event. Gonzales’ office did not respond to KSAT’s question. He asked for clarification regarding the context of those “rumors.”
Nov. 25, 2025: Adrian Aviles received a letter from The Office of Congressional Conduct asking for “any evidence” related to the affair, according to Aviles’ attorney.
Dec. 19, 2025: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ruled the 911 calls and video related to Santos-Aviles’ death can remain sealed.
Feb. 17, 2026: Gonzales’ former staffer shared a text message with the San Antonio Express-News. The message showed Santos-Aviles admitting to an affair with Gonzales.
Feb. 18, 2026: Adrian Aviles’s attorney told KSAT Investigates he believes the affair played a role in Santos-Aviles’ suicide.
Feb. 19, 2026: Gonzales accused Adrian Aviles of trying to profit from wife’s death. The representative called for the release of the police report. Gonzales said he would not be “blackmailed.”
Feb. 23, 2026: Adrian Aviles shares sexually explicit texts between his wife and the congressman with KSAT Investigates.
- Uvalde police released a 23-page report on Santos-Aviles’ death.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to call for Gonzales’ resignation despite other Republicans doing so.
Feb. 24, 2026: Gonzales refused to address the affair allegations in the halls of Congress.
Feb. 25, 2026: In his first public interview with CNN, Adrian Aviles said he is “exhausted and tired” of recent statements made by Gonzales. He accused the congressman of lying in the aftermath of Santos-Aviles’ death.
Feb. 26, 2026: Gonzales gave Santos-Aviles a 26% salary boost in 2024 — the same year as the affair — according to a report from the Uvalde Leader-News.
March 3, 2026: Gonzales was forced into a runoff against gun activist and YouTube personality Brandon Herrera.
March 4, 2026: The House Ethics Committee announced it will investigate Gonzales to determine whether he violated the code of conduct amid the allegations that he had an affair with Santos-Aviles.
Gonzales also addressed the accusations — saying he “made a mistake” — during the affair with Santos-Aviles. The congressman made the comments during an interview on the “Unshaken and Unafraid with Joe Pags” YouTube show.
March 5, 2026: House Republican leaders issued a statement that urged Gonzales to drop out of his bid for re-election.
Later that day, Gonzales announced he will not seek re-election.
April 6, 2026: Gonzales allegedly asked a different female staffer for nude photos and attempted to start a sexual relationship with her, according to a report.
April 13, 2026: Amid bipartisan calls for his expulsion from Congress, Gonzales announced he plans to file for retirement but did not say when it would take effect.
April 14, 2026: Gonzales officially resigned from office. His resignation went into effect later that night.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.