"HE IS LYING": Tony Gonzales facing brutal allegations from late staffer’s family

Описание: Political opponents and some members of the Republican Party are calling on Congressman Tony Gonzales to resign as new details emerge about an alleged affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide.

The controversy centers around Regina Santos-Aviles, a former staff member in Gonzales’ office, who died in September after setting herself on fire. Her husband, Adrian Aviles, has hired an attorney to explore potential litigation regarding workplace or sexual harassment. Attorney Bobby Barrera says their family — not the congressman — is the victim in this political firestorm.

Attorney: “The Only Liar Around Is Tony Gonzales”

Barrera strongly criticized Gonzales’ public denials of the affair.

“His constant denials are what finally spurred Adrian to say, ‘I am tired of Tony calling my wife a liar, calling me a liar, calling his staffer a liar, when the only liar around is Tony Gonzales,’” Barrera said.

Text messages released by a former staffer appear to show Regina Santos-Aviles acknowledging an affair with Gonzales.

News 4/Fox SA obtained copies of text messages between Regina Santos-Aviles and another former staffer stating she had an "affair with our boss."

The Express-News says the staffer asked not to be named because of fears of retaliation. The newspaper confirmed the messages were timestamped April 27, 2025, and verified they were sent from a phone number belonging to Santos-Aviles.

The messages are the first documentation related to widespread infidelity rumors that surfaced after Santos-Aviles died by suicide.

Barrera says he's seen further evidence.

“We have all the texts. I've seen them, I've read them, and there's nothing that Tony can say that would dispute the texts that he sent back and forth with Regina clearly being related to a sexual affair,” Barrera said.

Allegations of Harassment

Barrera said the alleged relationship contributed to serious strain in Santos-Aviles’ personal life and mental health.

He says her marital issues, mental health struggles, and eventual decline all trace back to the alleged relationship with Gonzales.

As for what comes next, Barrera says his legal team is evaluating potential action.

“We're going to explore any potential legal issues, legal remedies,” he said, including “potentially, the sexual harassment and workplace harassment after the discovery of this affair.”

Congressman Denies Allegations

In a statement released Wednesday, Gonzales suggested the allegations were politically motivated, accusing his opponent, Brandon Herrera, of trying to score political points.

"Ms. Santos-Aviles was a kind soul who devoted her life to making the community a better place. Her efforts led to improvements in school safety, healthcare, and rural water like never before. It’s shameful that Brandon Herrera is using a disgruntled former staffer to smear her memory and score political points, conveniently pushing this out the very day early voting started. I am not going to engage in these personal smears and instead will remain focused on helping President Trump secure the border and improve the lives of all Texans."

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