House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday said he told Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, to promptly address claims he had an affair with a staffer who died by suicide last year.

"I endorsed Tony before all these allegations came out. They're obviously very serious, and I've spoken with him and told him he's got to address that in an appropriate way with his constituents and all of that," Johnson said Monday when asked if he still supported Gonzales, according to NBC News.

"So it's too early for anybody to prejudge any of that, but we'll see how it develops," he added.

Regina Ann "Regi" Santos-Aviles, 35, served as Gonzales' regional district director in Uvalde, Texas. She died Sept. 14 after setting herself on fire.

A former staffer in Gonzales' district office who worked closely with Santos-Aviles said she told him they had an affair in 2024, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Gonzales is seeking reelection in Texas' 23rd Congressional District.

A lawyer for Santos-Aviles' husband, Adrian Aviles, said his wife's romantic relationship with Gonzales was an open secret. The staffer told the San Antonio Express-News that Santos-Aviles started to spiral mentally after her husband discovered the affair.

Bobby Barrera, Adrian Aviles' attorney, confirmed that the affair "was not a secret among the staff."

"It's common knowledge," he said in an interview. "The staff was clearly aware this event was occurring."

Asked whether the alleged relationship had anything to do with Santos-Aviles' death, Barrera said, "I don't think so."

Asked about "the circumstances that may have led to her death," Gonzales during an event in Austin, Texas, in November said the "rumors are completely untruthful."

"People throwing rocks at me, saying I'm doing nasty things — I totally get that. But the rumors are completely untruthful," he said, calling Santos-Aviles' death a "very tragic situation."

The Office of Congressional Conduct has been looking into whether Gonzales, who is married with six children, violated any House rules over the alleged affair.

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