An attorney for the widower of Rep. Tony Gonzales’ former aide alleges the Texas Republican coerced the staffer into a sexual relationship and is now “playing the role of a victim in a situation that he created.”
The staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, died by suicide in September after setting herself on fire, according to the autopsy report. Months earlier, she claimed in a text message to a colleague that she “had an affair with our boss,” according to the text message, which was obtained by CBS News.
Gonzales, who represents a sprawling district along the U.S.-Mexico border, has denied allegations that he had a sexual relationship with Santos-Aviles. He has also accused her widower’s lawyer of attempting to blackmail him by seeking $300,000 in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement — which the lawyer denied.
“An open, shielded secret”
Attorney Bobby Barrera, who’s representing Santos-Aviles’ husband, Adrien Aviles, spoke to CBS News in an interview Wednesday. Aviles was present for the interview but didn’t speak to CBS News.
Barrera said the congressman’s relationship with the late staffer was “an open, shielded secret” and that the secrecy was maintained at Gonzales’ explicit request.
“It was shielded at the request of Tony Gonzales that his staff all continue to work together for the good and benefit of everybody, working together and getting through this thing and past the election,” he said.
Barrera also claimed on Thursday that text messages from a forensic download of Santos-Aviles’ phone show Gonzales pushed Santos-Aviles into a sexual relationship, with the late staffer at times pushing back. He described exchanges that allegedly indicate Santos-Aviles communicated Gonzales was “going too far” and that she was hired for her appearance.
“Coercion is an interpretive issue, depending upon who’s sending the message and who’s receiving it,” Barrera said in a previous interview. “What one person may say is a simple question, someone else may interpret as coercion — because, guess what, it’s coming from your boss requesting that you do something that is not particularly proper, as in, send him pictures or meet him at particular locations.”
A source close to the Santos-Aviles family told 24sight News in October that the late staffer had confided in them about the relationship. “She said, ‘I need your advice — I’ve really screwed up,'” they told the publication. “It’s a very tragic situation because, in my opinion, Tony took advantage of a young woman without regard for the consequences.”
Gonzales denied the affair in an interview with a Punchbowl News reporter in November. “The rumors are completely untruthful,” he said. He and his office have not responded to requests from CBS News for comment on this story.
Santos-Aviles’ mother, Nora Gonzales, also denied her daughter was in a relationship with the congressman, telling the New York Post the accusations were “completely false.”
Lawyer denies extortion claim
Gonzales responded indirectly to the allegations on Thursday by posting to X an excerpt from a letter from Barrera, with the caption: “I WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED. Disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death.”
Barrera claimed that what Gonzales is characterizing as extortion was in fact a standard confidential settlement letter sent to the congressman’s attorney, not to Gonzales himself, outlining claims under the Congressional Accountability Act. That law, passed in the 1990s, governs workplace rights for congressional employees.
“Any claim of extortion implies that he actually did something wrong and that we want money to keep our mouth shut,” Barrera said. “But what he’s failed to acknowledge is that he had this affair. It shocks the conscience that he would do this, with the exception that he’s trying to play the victim once again.”
In the letter Gonzales posted — which Barrera claims was cropped before being made public — Barrera had proposed a settlement that would include a non-disclosure agreement for $300,000, the maximum recoverable under the Congressional Accountability Act.
Barrera said the amount was not arbitrary, noting it also corresponds to standard homeowners insurance policy limits.
He also claimed Gonzales “clearly cropped” the letter before posting it publicly, omitting what he said described “substantial evidence that we had of sexual harassment and retaliation harassment in the office with Regina.”
“Our claim is legitimate. Our facts are legitimate. Our allegations are truthful,” Barrera said.
Attorney says Santos-Aviles’ mental health declined
Barrera described a sharp decline in Santos-Aviles’ mental health following the alleged end of the relationship — something Barrera attributed directly to Gonzales’ conduct in the workplace.
“There are no documented mental health issues prior to this relationship with Tony Gonzales that anyone can speak of or point to,” he said. “The deterioration of her mental state was exacerbated by the conduct Tony engaged in — the workplace harassment after the discovery of the affair.”
Public records on Legistorm show Santos-Aviles’ annual salary rose from approximately $54,000 to $72,000 — a raise of roughly $18,000 — shortly after her husband discovered the alleged affair through text messages on her phone, according to multiple sources.
Gonzales did not attend Santos-Aviles’ funeral last fall, appearing instead on a podcast that day to discuss political violence, with no mention of her death in any of his office’s newsletters in the week that followed, sources said.
Gonzales is facing a competitive primary in his reelection campaign. President Trump has endorsed him, but he is being challenged by Brandon Herrera, whom he narrowly defeated in 2024 after the race went to a runoff. A House GOP leadership aide said that “leadership is waiting and watching to see what happens with Tony Gonzales,” adding that there are currently no redactions in endorsements or support.
That may in part reflect the fact that his district is considered safely Republican territory in the general election: Gonzales won reelection by 25% in 2024. But with the House GOP holding only a slim majority, and competitive primaries already unfolding across the map, party leaders are keenly aware that in a midterm cycle where control of the chamber could hinge on just a handful of races, every seat and every contest carries added weight. Texas will hold its primary elections on March 3, with early voting already underway.
