USA20 February, 20262 min read
Rep. Tony Gonzales Denies Affair With Staffer Who Set Herself on Fire, Says Husband Is Blackmailing Him Ahead of March 3 Primary
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Tony Gonzales denies having an affair with a former staffer who died by self-immolation Gonzales says he is being blackmailed by the staffer’s husband
5 outlets told this the same way.
Allegations and responses
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Tex.) strongly denies allegations that he had an affair with former district office staffer Regina Ann Santos-Aviles and says he is being blackmailed as those allegations surfaced days before a March 3 GOP primary.
“US Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) denies allegations that he had an affair with a former district office staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by self-immolation in September; the county medical examiner ruled her death a suicide.”
Multiple outlets report that Santos-Aviles later died after setting herself on fire and that investigators ruled her death a suicide.
Gonzales has posted a partial screenshot of an email he says shows an attempt to extort him and has called the claims false.
The accusations were made public this week by attorney Bobby Barrera, who represents Santos-Aviles' husband, Adrian Aviles, and Barrera says the messages are "substantial" though he has not released them.
Alleged text-message reporting
Reporting traces the allegations to text messages that news outlets published in mid‑February 2026. The San Antonio Express‑News is cited by the Associated Press and local reporting as the outlet that obtained the texts.
The Associated Press and KQ2 note that those messages have not been independently verified or released by the attorney making the claim. Dallas Express reports the texts "reportedly" contain an admission of the affair and places the publication timing in mid‑February 2026.
Reports on Santos‑Aviles death
All three sources report that Santos‑Aviles died after setting herself on fire and that authorities ruled her death a suicide, but they use different language and emphasize different details. KQ2 uses the phrase "self‑immolation" and notes the county medical examiner ruled her death a suicide.
“Santos-Aviles later died after setting herself on fire; the AP has not independently verified the texts.”
The AP says she "later died after setting herself on fire" and stresses it has not verified the texts. Dallas Express gives a specific timeline placing her death in September 2025 and says she was "found on fire outside her Uvalde home."
Gonzales campaign controversy
The allegations are unfolding in a charged political context: Gonzales is locked in a competitive March 3 Republican primary against Brandon Herrera and others. Gonzales and Herrera have blamed each other for the timing and motive of the disclosures. The Dallas Express says the controversy has prompted calls for Gonzales to resign and names several critics.
KQ2 notes both Gonzales and his rival blamed one another for the timing of the allegations. The Associated Press highlights Gonzales' public response on X, including his all‑caps post "I WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED."
Legal and personal responses
The attorney for Adrian Aviles (identified in some reports as Bobby/Robert Barrera) said the messages could support claims and mentioned a possible lawsuit and a settlement with a nondisclosure agreement. Barrera denied trying to extort Gonzales and called extortion claims "ridiculous" in KQ2's reporting. The attorney's suggestion of potential claims and a settlement conflicts with Barrera's denial that he tried to extort Gonzales.
“The posted email from attorney Robert Barrera mentioned a possible lawsuit and settlement with a nondisclosure agreement and cited a maximum recoverable amount of $300,000.”
The AP reports the posted email referenced a maximum recoverable amount of $300,000. Dallas Express says Adrian Aviles denied blackmail and that the family withheld portions of police materials to shield their young son from graphic material.