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Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) decried the claims that he had an affair with his congressional aide before she set herself on fire as “completely untruthful” in his first public comments since her September death.
Gonzales, who represents Texas’ 23 District, which encompasses the southwest part of the state, denied that he was romantically linked with 35-year-old Regina Santos-Aviles.
“The rumors are completely untruthful, and Regina’s family has asked for privacy,” the married congressman said during an appearance at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Thursday, according to the San Antonio Current.
“In politics, you have to have thick skin, and my name is on the door and so people are throwing rocks at me saying really nasty things, that’s where we get that,” he said.
The father of six had not publicly spoken out about the rumors until Thursday, as his press office repeatedly refused to address the claims made in a Daily Mail report in October.
“Regina Aviles was a kind soul who had a lasting impact on her community, which she continued to serve until her untimely death,” Gonzales’ office said.
Santos-Aviles worked as a Regional Director in Gonzales’ office since November 2021.
Her death was ruled a suicide this week by the Bexar County Medical Examiner, the San Antonio Current reported.
Gonzales said he was waiting for officials to rule out any criminal conduct before he spoke out over the tragedy.
“I don’t know exactly what happened,” he said at Thursday’s event. “No one’s contacted me. I haven’t contacted anyone. I’m genuinely untrusting of these outlets. I’m waiting for the final report.”
Santos-Aviles “doused herself in gasoline” before “igniting in flames” in the backyard of her Uvalde, Texas home on Sept. 13.
Santos-Aviles’s mother, Nora Gonzales, found her daughter badly burned and begging for water. Firefighters extinguished burning gasoline cans when they arrived at the home.
She succumbed to her injuries at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio the next day. Santos-Aviles’s last words were, “I don’t want to die,” Nora Gonzales told the San Antonio Express News.
Nora Gonzales recalled that a “distraught” Santos-Aviles called her earlier just before setting herself on fire, saying that she wanted her 8-year-old son, the outlet reported.
The family of the 35-year-old mother of one shot down the report from the Daily Mail that alleged Santos-Aviles separated from her husband and had an affair with Gonzales as “completely false.”
“I don’t think it has any merit,” Nora Gonzales told The Post.
The grieving mother told The Post she is unsure why her daughter doused herself in gasoline.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
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