A newly published report is raising serious questions about the conduct of Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), adding to mounting scrutiny surrounding the outgoing lawmaker as he prepares to leave office.
According to text messages obtained and published Monday by the San Antonio Express-News, Gonzales allegedly sent a series of explicit and persistent messages to his then-campaign director in 2020, during his first run for Congress. The reported exchanges, which span hundreds of messages, suggest a pattern of increasingly inappropriate communication over several days.
The newspaper reported that the messages began with casual conversation, including discussions about the staffer’s personal life, before escalating into repeated requests for explicit photos and sexual encounters. Within hours of the initial exchange, Gonzales allegedly began asking questions about what the aide was wearing and made direct requests for nude images.
As described in the report, the messages grew more explicit over time, with Gonzales allegedly detailing sexual desires and continuing to press for photos despite repeated refusals. In one exchange cited by the newspaper, he allegedly stated, “I know what I want and won’t stop until I get it.”
The campaign aide, who was granted anonymity, told the Express-News that she declined his advances multiple times and that no physical relationship ever occurred. “We didn’t so much as touch,” she said, according to the report.
The situation is further complicated by more recent events involving Gonzales. In 2024, the congressman acknowledged an affair with congressional aide Regina Santos-Aviles, describing it at the time as “a mistake” and “a lapse in judgment.” Santos-Aviles later died by self-immolation in September 2025 after her husband discovered messages related to the relationship.
That incident drew significant backlash from House Republican leadership and ultimately contributed to Gonzales’s decision to abandon his bid for a fourth term. He is now set to leave office in January.
The former campaign director who shared the 2020 messages said she came forward after learning of Santos-Aviles’s death, suggesting that the pattern of behavior described in the texts raised broader concerns.
“He obviously pursued, pursued, pursued her like he did with me,” she told the newspaper. “I never took him serious… It wasn’t until this poor girl died that I thought, ‘No, this guy is pure evil.’”
She added that she believes such behavior must be addressed, saying, “This behavior needs to stop.”
The Express-News reported that it verified the origin of the messages as coming from Gonzales’s cell phone number and confirmed through campaign finance records that the aide was employed by his campaign at the time.
Gonzales did not respond to questions from the newspaper regarding the allegations.
The report adds another layer to an already controversial chapter in Gonzales’s political career, raising concerns about conduct, accountability, and the broader culture within political campaigns. As the congressman prepares to exit public office, the revelations are likely to remain part of the conversation surrounding his tenure and the standards expected of those in positions of power.
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