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GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales admits to having affair with ex-aide who burned herself to death: ‘I made a mistake’

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Embattled Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who just advanced to a runoff in his Texas district’s primary election, admitted on Wednesday that he had an extramarital affair with a staffer who later fatally set herself on fire.

“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment,” Gonzales said during an interview on “The Joe Pags Show,” a day after Tuesday’s Republican House primary election.

“And there was a lack of faith,” the congressman continued. “And I take full responsibility for those actions.”

Gonzales indicated that he has “reconciled” with his wife since the May 2024 affair with his late staffer, married mom Regina Santos-Aviles.

“I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has,” Gonzales said.

“When you make mistakes like this, it’s never easy. It humbles you,” he added. (Read more from “GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales admits to having affair with ex-aide who burned herself to death: ‘I made a mistake’” HERE)

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GOP Lawmaker Accused Of Affair With Aide Who Later Set Herself On Fire

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Republican Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales is accused of having a romantic relationship with a former aide who died last year after setting herself on fire.

In the months before her death, Santos-Aviles sent a message to another Gonzales staffer saying that she had an affair with the congressman, according to a San Antonio Express-News report.

A former employee in Gonzales’ district office who worked closely with Santos-Aviles said she confided in him about the relationship in 2024. He claimed she became deeply depressed after her husband learned of the affair and Gonzales allegedly ended contact with her. The former staffer also provided the San Antonio Express-News with a screenshot of a text from Santos-Aviles in which she referenced having an “affair with our boss.”

The staffer, who spoke to the outlet on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation, criticized Gonzales’ office for failing to act, saying he alerted the congressman’s district director months before Santos-Aviles’ death that he was worried about her well-being. He described her as his “best friend” and said their families were close.

(Read more from “GOP Lawmaker Accused Of Affair With Aide Who Later Set Herself On Fire” HERE)

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GOP Rep Could Be In Big Trouble If Public Learns More About Alleged Affair Partner Setting Herself On Fire

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Republican Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales’s support from GOP primary voters craters after they learn of his alleged affair with a district staffer, according to a new Trafalgar Group poll obtained by the Daily Caller.

Regina Santos-Aviles, Gonzales’s regional district director, set herself on fire in her backyard in Uvalde, Texas in September before succumbing to her injuries at the hospital, according to a 24sight News report. Gonzales was allegedly having an affair with Santos-Aviles, who was also married, according to more than half a dozen sources who spoke to 24sight News and the Daily Mail. Gonzales has not publicly denied having an affair.

The Trafalgar Group poll, conducted Oct. 26 to Oct. 29 on behalf of an outside organization not connected with either campaign, asked Texas 23rd District voters whether they were aware of reports that “Gonzales, who is married, was having an affair with one of his congressional employees, Regina Santos-Aviles, and that employee recently committed suicide by setting herself on fire.”

Of the 503 likely Republican primary voters polled, 46% said they were unaware of the reports of the alleged affair between Gonzales and Santos-Aviles.

A follow-up question asked if voters were aware that Gonzales is “subject to an investigation by the House Ethics committee for violating rules for having an affair with an employee?” (Read more from “GOP Rep Could Be In Big Trouble If Public Learns More About Alleged Affair Partner Setting Herself On Fire” HERE)

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House Staffer Dies After Freak Fire Incident

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Regina Santos-Aviles, a staffer for Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, passed away after an “accident” in which she caught on fire at home Saturday.

Uvalde Police Chief Homer Delgado noted that there had not been any sign “of foul play.”

“It was an accident,” the woman’s mother, Nora Ann Gonzales, said, noting her daughter had sustained burns, according to the San Antonio Express-News. . .

While the call got canceled as crews were en route, four firefighters responded since the residence was near the station, Rangel noted, according to the outlet.

“When we arrived, we learned of a fire behind the residence that had been put out with a fire extinguisher,” he said, according to the outlet. “At the same time, EMS personnel were attending to a female who had suffered burns. She was transported by EMS and, at some point, flown to a San Antonio hospital.” (Read more from “House Staffer Dies After Freak Fire Incident” HERE)

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