Texts show Rep. Tony Gonzales sent explicit messages to staffer who later died by suicide: "This is going too far boss"
CBSN
A newly revealed 2024 text exchange appears to show that Rep. Tony Gonzales encouraged one of his aides to send him an explicit photo — leading the aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, to push back. Just over a year later, the staffer died after setting herself on fire.
A newly revealed 2024 text exchange appears to show that Rep. Tony Gonzales encouraged one of his aides to send him an explicit photo — leading the aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, to push back. Just over a year later, the staffer died after setting herself on fire.
The texts have drawn additional scrutiny to the Texas Republican, who is now facing bipartisan criticism over his alleged affair with Santos-Aviles. An attorney for the staffer's husband alleged to CBS News last week that Gonzales coerced Santos-Aviles into a sexual relationship. Gonzales has denied the affair in the past, and has claimed he is being extorted.
CBS News has obtained a set of texts that were extracted from Santos-Aviles' phone that show a conversation between Gonzales and the late staffer.
In the exchange, which took place after midnight in early May 2024, Gonzales asked for a "sexy pic." After a back-and-forth, Santos-Aviles said she didn't like taking photos of herself. He responded in a pair of texts: "I'm just such a visual person" and "Sorry."
The congressman then asked Santos-Aviles what her "favorite position" is. She asked him to answer first, and he did.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with an early stage of breast cancer, she confirmed Monday. Jacob Rosen, Olivia Rinaldi and Caitlin Huey-Burns contributed to this report.
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