Republican U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales of San Antonio has accused the husband of a deceased staffer of attempting to blackmail him amid allegations of an affair. The former staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, reportedly confided in a colleague about her relationship with Gonzales while both were married. Santos-Aviles died by suicide in 2022, an event that has since drawn considerable media attention.
In a post on social media platform X, Gonzales stated, “I WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED. Disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death.” He accompanied this statement with a partial screenshot of an email, which suggests that an attorney representing Santos-Aviles’ husband, Adrian Aviles, is seeking a settlement of up to $300,000 in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement.
The email, signed by attorney Robert Barrera, was not dated or timestamped. Barrera indicated in a subsequent interview that the first half of the email, which Gonzales did not share, included text messages between Santos-Aviles and the congressman that could substantiate a sexual harassment claim if the matter were to proceed to court. He described Gonzales’ behavior towards Santos-Aviles as inappropriate, citing her responses as attempts to assert boundaries.
Gonzales’ campaign team, legal representatives, and office staff did not respond to requests for comments on the allegations throughout the day. Barrera asserted that Gonzales is aware of the evidence they possess and accused him of avoiding the truth.
In a statement to The Texas Tribune, Gonzales did not address the affair claims but accused his opponent in the forthcoming March 3 GOP primary of exploiting the tragedy for political gain. He has consistently denied the allegations of an affair.
Santos-Aviles died in September 2022 after setting herself on fire in Uvalde, Texas. Following Gonzales’ social media post, a social media account purportedly belonging to Adrian Aviles described Gonzales as a “two-faced politician.” The account insisted, “We have never blackmailed anyone,” while characterizing Gonzales’ responses as evasive and misleading.
The email shared by Gonzales suggests that Aviles’ attorney was contemplating a lawsuit under the Congressional Accountability Act, which allows staffers to seek damages for workplace discrimination and harassment, but Barrera expressed concern about the potential reputational harm to Gonzales. He noted, “I don’t have a way to file it without potentially damaging his career.”
Barrera confirmed that he possesses Santos-Aviles’ phone, containing all relevant messages, and said he would defer the decision to release them to her husband. He emphasized the human impact of Santos-Aviles’ death, attributing her tragic demise to the emotional toll resulting from her relationship with Gonzales.
Gonzales, a Navy veteran, has represented Texas’ 23rd Congressional District since 2021. He is married and has six children. His district, the largest in Texas, includes a portion of San Antonio.
In his social media post, Gonzales called for the release of the police report regarding Santos-Aviles’ death, which her husband claimed was being withheld to protect their eight-year-old son. He stated, “Nothing in that police report protects you; that decision is about protecting our child’s well-being, not concealing anything improper.”
Rumors about the alleged affair surfaced following reports from Current Revolt in September 2022. At the Texas Tribune Festival in November, Gonzales publicly denied the allegations for the first time, asserting that the “rumors are completely untruthful.”
Earlier this week, the San Antonio Express-News reported on a text message in which Santos-Aviles confessed to a fellow staffer that she had “had an affair with our boss.” The unnamed staffer denied receiving any compensation or promises from Gonzales’ opponents.
Adrian Aviles has since spoken out, stating that Gonzales “abused his power” and attempted to push Santos-Aviles out of her position upon discovering the affair. He noted that their marriage was strained but that they were working towards reconciliation prior to her death. He described her as “spiraling” after the affair became public and indicated that she had made multiple suicidal threats before her tragic death.
Gonzales is facing a competitive primary challenge from Brandon Herrera, a gun rights activist, who narrowly lost to Gonzales in a previous runoff election. Former Representative Quico Canseco and Marine Corps veteran Keith Barton are also contenders in the GOP primary.
Former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Gonzales, won the district by a significant margin in the 2024 elections, while Democrats have intensified their efforts to contest the seat in the upcoming November elections, with four candidates vying for the Democratic nomination.
Neither Trump nor House Speaker Mike Johnson have publicly commented on the affair allegations thus far.
