(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Rep. Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, is facing renewed scrutiny after the husband of a former staffer with whom he allegedly had an affair broke his silence. Gonzalez is now claiming he is being blackmailed, though reporting suggests otherwise.
The backlash intensified after Adrian Aviles, the widower of Gonzalez staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, confirmed the rumored affair for the first time in remarks to the San Antonio Express-News.
“I said the truth would come to light when it’s time, and the time is now,” Aviles said. “Tony abused his power. He should have held himself to a higher standard as a congressional leader.”
Aviles’s comments come months after his wife died on Sept. 13, 2025. According to reports, Santos-Aviles poured gasoline on herself and set herself on fire after struggling with depression stemming from the alleged affair.
“I hope that Tony will stand up and be accountable for his actions,” Aviles added, breaking months of silence that followed Headline USA’s prior attempts to reach the family in 2025.
The day before Aviles’ public remarks, the San Antonio Express-News reported on text messages between Santos-Aviles and a former colleague in which she allegedly acknowledged the affair with Gonzalez, who is married and has six children.
Gonzalez has largely avoided questions about his relationship with the now-deceased staffer, calling the affair “completely untruthful.”
On Thursday, Gonzalez claimed on X that he was being blackmailed and posted screenshots of a settlement email from Aviles’ attorney, Robert Barrera.
The email shows Barrera offering to resolve a possible lawsuit through a non-disclosure agreement. It referenced a potential payment of $300,000.
Barrera later said that figure reflected the damages his client initially sought had a lawsuit been filed.
Despite Gonzalez’s claim of blackmail, Barrera has publicly acknowledged that he was researching potential damages under the Congressional Accountability Act.
Meanwhile, Aviles told The Daily Mail that his wife had previously raised concerns about Gonzalez’s alleged advances.
“He had made a pass at her and she’d mentioned, she’d said something about, you know, him being her boss and that that was inappropriate,” the widow said.
Aviles said he attempted to save his marriage through counseling, but Santos-Aviles did not want to leave her job in Gonzalez’s office.
“They were like, ‘Take a month off. Don’t worry about anything. We’ll take care of everything for you.’ The motto around there is protect Tony at all costs, and even at that all cost is lying,” he added.
According to Aviles, Santos-Aviles was eventually sidelined by Gonzalez’s office in the months leading up to her death.
