Aide Who Set Herself on Fire at Center of Text Scandal as Texas Lawmaker Refuses to Resign
Rep. Tony Gonzales is pushing back against calls to step aside, insisting he will remain in office and continue his reelection bid despite mounting pressure tied to text messages involving a former aide who died last…
Rep. Tony Gonzales is pushing back against calls to step aside, insisting he will remain in office and continue his reelection bid despite mounting pressure tied to text messages involving a former aide who died last year.
According to the New York Post, the Texas Republican told CNN he is “not going to resign,” while declining to confirm details about the messages or the nature of his relationship with Regina Santos-Aviles. “What you’ve seen is not all the facts,” he said when pressed on the disclosures.
Santos-Aviles, 35, died Sept. 14, 2025, one day after setting herself on fire at her home in Uvalde.
Messages released by her husband show Gonzales asking for intimate photos and discussing personal matters before she said the exchange had gone “too far.”
The revelations have shaken Gonzales’ primary campaign.
Several House Republicans have urged him to resign or drop his reelection effort, while House Speaker Mike Johnson described the allegations as “serious” but said any action should follow the outcome of ethics inquiries.