Texas Congressman Troy Nehls Defends Colleague Tony Gonzales Amid Affair Allegations and Staffer's Suicide
Republican Representative Troy Nehls of Texas has publicly defended his fellow Texas GOP congressman Tony Gonzales, who faces mounting pressure to resign over his involvement in an apparent affair with a staffer who died by suicide last year. Nehls made his controversial stance clear during an exchange with reporters on Wednesday, emphasizing political calculations over ethical concerns.
"The Optics Are Horrible, But I Would In No Way Ever Resign"
"He's not been indicted for anything. Does it look good? No. I don't like the appearance of it," Nehls told a gathering of journalists. "He's got a problem here. Don't get me wrong, the optics are horrible, but I would in no way ever resign, right now."
The Texas lawmaker elaborated that Gonzales resigning would be "the stupidest thing he could ever do" given the Republican Party's razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives. When pressed by CNN's Manu Raju about whether some matters transcend political considerations, Nehls responded bluntly: "No. Not up here, not the way we do what we do in the House."
Tragic Backstory: Staffer's Suicide and Explicit Messages
Nehls's comments place him at odds with other Republicans who have called for Gonzales to step down following revelations about sexually explicit messages exchanged in 2024 between the congressman and his late staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles. One particularly damning message appears to show Gonzales requesting a "sexy pic" from Santos-Aviles.
The tragic human dimension of the scandal became painfully clear through statements from Santos-Aviles's widower, Adrian Aviles. He revealed that his marriage disintegrated after discovering the affair between his wife and Gonzales, and that Santos-Aviles descended into depression before taking her own life last year through self-immolation.
"Look, I'm not saying he's the one that went out there and did it himself, and I'm not saying that, but, yeah, he played a role in it," Aviles told CNN's Erin Burnett. "He predatorized my wife, and he pushed her to the sense of having an affair. I mean, I made that evident in the messages that are released."
Gonzales Denies Allegations Amid High-Stakes Reelection Battle
Gonzales, who is married with six children, has consistently denied the affair allegations, asserting that "what you've seen is not all the facts." The congressman currently represents Texas's expansive 23rd Congressional District and faces a challenging reelection campaign against YouTuber Brandon Herrera, known online as "The AK Guy."
Herrera, who narrowly lost to Gonzales in the 2024 election, has launched aggressive attacks against the incumbent, claiming Gonzales had a "taxpayer funded affair with a married staffer, which led to her death by self-immolation." The challenger has been running advertisements across the district highlighting these allegations and calling for Gonzales's resignation.
Political Calculations Override Ethical Concerns
Nehls maintained that "accusations aren't enough" to warrant Gonzales's resignation or campaign suspension, framing the decision through a purely political lens. "If he does that, then you got to give the gavel to Hakeem Jeffries and I'm sure the Democrats would love that," Nehls said, referring to the Democratic minority leader who would potentially gain power if Republicans lost a seat.
The Texas representative's unwavering position underscores the intense partisan dynamics at play in the current Congress, where maintaining majority control appears to supersede other considerations for some lawmakers, even amid personal tragedies and serious ethical allegations.
