Overview
- A text message from April 2025 attributed to aide Regina Santos-Aviles stating she had an affair with her boss was verified by the San Antonio Express-News and reviewed by CBS News.
- A former Gonzales staffer told reporters the relationship occurred in 2024, shared the screenshot of the message, and described her deteriorating mental health after her husband learned of the liaison.
- Gonzales denied the allegation in prior remarks and on Wednesday declined to engage on the claims, accusing a primary opponent of exploiting a disgruntled ex-staffer as early voting began.
- The Express-News rescinded its primary endorsement of Gonzales, and Republican figures including challenger Brandon Herrera and state Rep. Wes Virdell urged him to resign.
- Authorities ruled Santos-Aviles’s September 2025 death a suicide with no evidence of foul play, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office sealed related 911 calls and police records in December.