March 5, 2026

“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment” and “take full responsibility for those actions,” Gonzales told conservative radio host Joe Pagliarulo. “I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has.” Gonzales said he “had absolutely nothing to do” with Santos-Avila’s “tragic passing.”

Rep. Tony Gonzales, a married father of six, admitted for the first time to having an affair with Regina Santos-Aviles, a congressional staffer who died by self-immolation in September, after previously denying the relationship; his confession came as the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna filed a resolution to censure him, with several Republicans urging his resignation or withdrawal from the re-election race. Gonzales expressed regret and took responsibility during a radio interview, insisting he was not involved in Santos-Aviles’s death, but his contrition was brief before he attacked the media and political critics. The scandal, exacerbated by leaked texts showing him pressuring Santos-Aviles for explicit messages, plagued his GOP primary and forced a runoff despite endorsements from Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Leave a Reply