U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) has been having a hard time since it was revealed that his aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, died via self-immolation.
There were rumors at the time that she may have killed herself over an alleged affair between the two, which Gonzales denied was the case.
Now, however, texts have surfaced where Santos-Aviles was discussing the affair.
The news of her death broke in mid-November last year, and it was horrifying.
Local police stated that footage was obtained via surveillance camera of Santos-Aviles going to her backyard and setting herself on fire.
After the death was reported, Gonzales stated, “We are all heart-stricken by the recent news. She will always be remembered for her passion towards Uvalde and helping the community become a better place."
Speculation immediately surfaced that an affair between the two of them had soured, but Gonzales denied the rumors in December, releasing a rather scathing statement.
Gonzales has not exactly been a loyal backer of Trump’s, but the president has endorsed him in this race.
I believe Trump did this to boost Gonzales after the affair rumors, as he started to slip in the polls.
That did not have the desired effect, however, as the affair rumors are still hanging over the Texas Republican, and he is now considerably behind his primary challenger. Brandon Herrera.
In the latest polling, Herrera is up by 9% in a head-to-head battle, and by four points in a crowded field of primary candidates.
Gonzales now has a new problem to deal with on the affair front, as texts from Santos-Aviles to a friend have been leaked to the media, with her admitting to an affair with the congressman. One text read, “I had [an] affair with our boss and I’m fine.” That text was sent in April, about seven months before she took her life.
Rep. Gonzales responded to the report, “Ms. Santos-Aviles was a kind soul who devoted her life to making the community a better place. Her efforts led to improvements in school safety, healthcare, and rural water like never before.”
He continued, “It’s shameful that [primary rival] Brandon Herrera is using a disgruntled former staffer to smear her memory and score political points, conveniently pushing this out the very day early voting started.”
This was just a rumor until that text was released, but now it is real, and I think the American people are sick and tired of politicians lying to them. This is definitely dirty pool by Herrera, but he is not the one who misbehaved. The only question now is if Trump will continue to support Gonzales or pull his endorsement, which would likely seal a win for Herrera in the primary.
