Political adviser Regina Santos-Aviles set herself alight in the back garden of her US home in September and died from her injuries the next day.
Political adviser Regina Santos-Aviles set herself alight in the back garden of her US home in September and died from her injuries the next day.
WARNING: This article discusses suicide and may be upsetting to some readers.
An aide to a prominent Republican politician in the United States allegedly had an affair with her boss before setting herself on fire.
Regina Santos-Aviles, an adviser to Tony Gonzales, a Texas representative, covered herself in petrol andset herself alight in the back garden of her home in September. She died of her injuries the following day.
According to messages seen by the San Antonio Express-News, she texted a friend in April, saying: “I had [an] affair with our boss and I’m fine.”
Gonzales said he would not engage in “personal smears” and accused a political rival of using Santos-Aviles’ death to damage him as early voting began in the Republican primary.
However, a former colleague of the aide, who has since moved to Los Angeles to work on Democratic campaigns, said the affair was open knowledge among the congressman’s staff.
Santos-Aviles, a mother of one, was Gonzales’ regional director, but was alleged to have been sidelined by her boss after her husband Adrian Aviles discovered the affair.
A text message sent by Regina Santos-Aviles to a friend.
When Aviles texted a group of staffers to expose the relationship in 2024, Santos-Aviles “went from number one employee in the office to nothing”, the individual claimed.
Gonzales was said to have “avoided” his regional director by cancelling meetings with her. She also allegedly stopped accompanying him on visits to Uvalde, the city he represents.
“She talked about Tony every day,” the former staffer said, claiming he went to a senior member of Gonzales’ team in June with concerns about her mental health.
Gonzales said in a statement to US media he was “not going to engage in these personal smears and instead will remain focused on helping President Trump secure the border and improve the lives of all Texans”.
He said: “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.”
Regina Santos-Aviles and her husband Adrian Aviles.
Gonzales accused Brandon Herrera, a YouTuber who is running against him to claim the Republican Party nomination, of “using a disgruntled former staffer to smear [Santos-Aviles’] memory and score political points”.
The news had “conveniently” emerged on the same day early voting started in the Texas primary, he said.
Santos-Aviles’ mother has previously said rumours of her daughter’s affair with Gonzales were “completely false”.
