Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales Faces New Allegations of Sexual Harassment in 2020 Text Messages
Newly released text messages appear to reveal that Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales harassed a second aide for sex years before his affair with a staffer brought down his political career. Hundreds of alleged text messages from 2020 between the Texas Republican and his then-political director show him repeatedly asking for nude photos and attempting to initiate a sexual relationship.
Explicit Demands and Persistent Pressure
In one particularly graphic exchange, Gonzales is said to have told the staffer he wanted her to 'squeeze my balls.' The texts, obtained by the San Antonio Express News, emerge just weeks after Gonzales was forced to drop out of his congressional re-election bid following the revelation of his affair with a different staffer, Regina Aviles, who later died by suicide.
The Daily Mail originally broke the story about the affair in October 2025, weeks after Aviles's tragic death in the backyard of her Uvalde home. During both interactions with the staffers, Gonzales was married to his wife, Angel, with whom he shares six children.
Staffer Comes Forward After Aviles's Death
The woman involved in the 2020 texts, who is not named in the report, stated she came forward after Aviles's death, telling the paper, 'This behavior needs to stop.' In one late-night conversation from 2020, the congressman pressured her for nude photos, saying, '47 nos is about my limit,' after being turned down. However, he persisted the next day, asserting in a June 15, 2020 message, 'I know what I want and won’t stop until I get it.'
The staffer responded with a facepalm emoji and added, 'You better do that in Congress. And take me with you.' At the time of these texts, Gonzales was running for re-election to represent Texas's 23rd Congressional District.
Admissions and Regrets
The woman claims she never had a sexual relationship with Gonzales but admitted he paid her late-night visits at her house. In one 2020 text, Gonzales says, 'Want me to come over again,' followed by, 'If I come over though, your panties are coming off.' She also acknowledged her own role in the inappropriate exchanges, telling the Express-News, 'I’m not totally innocent in all this,' and expressing regret for having 'played him.'
Political Fallout and Current Status
Gonzales is serving out his final months in office after being forced to abandon his re-election race following the Daily Mail's exposure of his affair with Aviles. Several elected officials and constituents in his Texas district report that Gonzales has stopped performing some of his duties, despite continuing to receive his $174,000 yearly congressional salary. He is allegedly not responding to at least some constituents and is avoiding media attention.
Amid mounting pressure from Republican colleagues, Gonzales finally admitted to cheating on his wife a day after coming in second in a razor-tight March 3 primary. The US Speaker of the House then called on him to drop out of the race, clearing a path for his opponent, Brandon Herrera, to advance in the general election. However, Gonzales appears intent on finishing his term, which ends in January.
Gonzales did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment on the 2020 allegations.
