Texas congressman claims he's being 'blackmailed'

HOUSTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas claimed Thursday he was being "blackmailed" following a report he allegedly had an affair with a former staffer who later died after she set herself on fire. The claim by the married Republican congressman comes after the San Antonio Express-Newsreported that it had obtained text messages in which the former staffer, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, wrote to a colleague that she had an affair with the lawmaker. The Associated Press has not independently obtained copies of the messages. On Thursday, an attorney for Adrian Aviles, Santos-Aviles' husband, said the husband had found out about the affair prior to his wife's death. A spokesperson and an attorney for Gonzales, who is running for reelection in Texas' March 3 primary, did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. On social media, the congressman posted a partial screenshot of an email from the husband's attorney and accused him of seeking money. "I WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED," Gonzales wrote in a post on the social media site X on Thursday. "Disgusting to see people profit politically and financially off a tragic death." In the email posted by Gonzales, attorney Robert Barrera discussed a possible lawsuit against the lawmaker and a potential settlement with a nondisclosure agreement. The email says that the maximum recoverable amount is $300,000. Barrera denied he was trying to blackmail Gonzales. "It is a desperate attempt to make him look again like a political victim," Barrera told The AP in a phone interview on Thursday. "There's no blackmail here. I mean, it's just ridiculous allegations." Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, 35, died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire in her backyard at her home in Uvalde. The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office later ruled her death as a suicide by self-immolation. Gonzales, whose district stretches from San Antonio to El Paso and runs along the U.S.-Mexico border, has six children with his wife According to Barrera, the email that Gonzales posted online was part of back-and-forth discussions he had been having with the lawmaker's attorney after Aviles decided he wanted to recover damages through a potential lawsuit on behalf of his wife under the Congressional Accountability Act. The act provides legal protection for employees in the legislative branch against harassment, discrimination or retaliation. Barrera claimed that after discovery of the alleged affair, Gonzales retaliated against Santos-Aviles by dramatically restricting her job duties and privileges and restricting her job advancement. Gonzales has been endorsed by President Donald Trump and is facing a primary challenge from Brandon Herrera, who narrowly lost to Gonzales in 2024. Herrera has called on Gonzales to resign in wake of the report. In a statement to the Texas Tribune this week, Gonzales called Santos-Aviles "a kind soul who devoted her life to making the community a better place." He went on to say he would not "engage in these personal smears and instead will remain focused on helping President Trump secure the border and improve the lives of all Texans." Barrera said his client wants the lawmaker to acknowledge the alleged affair. "There's nothing political here. There's no demand for him to resign. That's up to the voters of that district, whether they want a man like Tony Gonzales to lead them into the future," Barrera said.