"Even by the standards of congressional scandals and dalliances, the following story is decidedly on the salacious side. It involves not only an alleged (and supported by tons of evidence) affair between a Republican member of Congress and their own staffer, but also the death via suicide of that staffer, accusations of blackmail, and the possibility of another alleged affair on the part of a husband whose statements about his wife also raise eyebrows."
"Gonzales is a Navy veteran who has served as the U.S. representative for Texas' 23rd congressional district since 2021, representing a vast stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border. Perhaps surprisingly, he's actually not among the state's more far-right congressmen, having been the only GOP vote in Texas for the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which codified same-sex marriage and Obergefell v. Hodges into federal law."
"Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, the mother to an 8-year-old son, reportedly began a sexual affair with Rep. Tony Gonzales sometime in mid-2024, while Gonzales was in the midst of a grueling primary against far-right influencer Brandon Herrera, ultimately eking out an extremely narrow victory."
Texas Representative Tony Gonzales, a Navy veteran and father of six, is confronting widespread calls for resignation following allegations of an affair with Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, a married staffer in his office. The scandal intensified when Santos-Aviles died by suicide in September 2024 in tragic circumstances. Evidence supporting the affair allegations has surfaced extensively. Gonzales, who previously distinguished himself as the only Texas Republican voting for the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, is now applying what the account describes as the foundational MAGA axiom: deny everything, admit nothing, never concede defeat. The situation represents a complex scandal involving infidelity, blackmail accusations, and personal tragedy within congressional politics.
Read at Jezebel
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]