Gonzales Office Stopped Regina Santos-Aviles’ Pay Increases After Husband Raised Alleged Affair Claims

Pay records show sharp 2024 increase followed by a halt in 2025

Pay and personnel records from U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales’ congressional office indicate that Regina Santos-Aviles, a regional district director based in Uvalde, received a significant salary increase in 2024 and then saw routine raises and additional compensation stop in 2025 after her husband said he confronted the office about an alleged relationship between the congressman and the staff member.

Santos-Aviles worked for Gonzales’ office from late 2021 until her death in September 2025. Over that period, her base salary rose from $47,500 to $68,000. Records show a notable jump in 2024, including a 26% base-pay increase and additional compensation categorized as unspecified. The following year, the pattern of annual raises and bonuses ended, even as she remained employed in the role.

Allegations, denials, and the timeline of official actions

The pay changes are now part of a broader dispute centered on allegations that Gonzales engaged in an inappropriate relationship with Santos-Aviles, and that adverse workplace actions followed after her husband, Adrian Aviles, said he discovered sexually explicit messages and contacted the office. Gonzales has denied wrongdoing and has rejected calls to resign.

In November 2025, the Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled Santos-Aviles’ death a suicide by self-immolation following a September incident at her home in Uvalde. She was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and died the next morning. Local and state authorities investigated and reported no indication of foul play.

The office’s compensation decisions—an increase in 2024 and the end of raises in 2025—are being examined alongside allegations of an improper workplace relationship and retaliation.

Ethics scrutiny and potential retaliation questions

Separate from the pay records, an ethics process has been underway. A letter seeking evidence related to the allegations was sent to Adrian Aviles in late November 2025, and a congressional ethics watchdog inquiry has been publicly reported in recent weeks. The matter has also prompted public debate among Republican lawmakers, with some urging Gonzales to step aside and others arguing investigations should run their course.

In Congress, relationships between members and staff can raise serious conflicts-of-interest concerns, including power-imbalance issues and questions about the use of public office for personal benefit. When compensation decisions follow personal allegations, scrutiny typically focuses on whether decisions were performance-based, policy-driven, or retaliatory.

What remains unresolved

• Whether the 2024 compensation increase was consistent with established office practices for comparable roles.
• The stated reasons, if any, for halting raises and extra compensation in 2025.
• Whether any congressional investigation will make findings regarding conduct or retaliation.

As of late February 2026, Gonzales continues to deny an improper relationship, and no public finding has been released establishing misconduct or retaliation. The pay records, however, provide a documented timeline that has intensified questions about workplace decision-making inside a congressional district office.