2026年3月4日 / 美国东部时间晚上9:07 / 哥伦比亚广播公司新闻
得克萨斯州共和党众议员托尼·冈萨雷斯周三首次承认，他曾与一名后来自杀身亡的前幕僚有过关系，但声称这一事件引发的争议”关乎权力和金钱”。
“我犯了一个错误，判断出现了偏差，缺乏应有的信念，我为这些行为承担全部责任，”当被问及所谓的婚外情是否发生时，他对保守派电台主持人乔·帕格斯表示。”从那以后，我和妻子安吉儿重归于好。我请求上帝原谅我，他已经原谅了我，我的信仰一如既往地坚定。”
哥伦比亚广播公司新闻获得了2024年5月的一条短信交流记录，其中冈萨雷斯向他的前幕僚 Regina Santos-Aviles 发送了露骨的信息，要求她发送一张”性感照片”。有一次，冈萨雷斯回复道：”老板，这太过分了。”哥伦比亚广播公司新闻还获得了一条信息，其中 Santos-Aviles 告诉一位同事：”我和我们的老板有过婚外情，我没事。”
Santos-Aviles于2025年9月自焚身亡，其死亡被认定为自杀。
冈萨雷斯在周三的采访中表示：”我与她的悲剧性死亡绝对没有任何关系。事实上，我和其他人一样感到震惊。”
这位议员在他位于美国-墨西哥边境选区的共和党初选中获胜一天后接受了帕格斯的采访。冈萨雷斯和强硬右翼挑战者 Brandon Herrera 都将进入5月的决选，因为两人都没有获得超过50%的选票。
就在众议院伦理委员会宣布调查冈萨雷斯是否”与雇员发生性行为不当”或”通过给予特殊优惠或特权进行不公平歧视”的几小时后，他发表了上述言论。
众议院行为准则规定，议员”不得与受其监督的任何众议院雇员发生性关系”。该准则还禁止对员工进行”不受欢迎的性挑逗或行为”。
自短信内容公开以来，冈萨雷斯遭到了两党成员要求他辞职的呼声。
在周三的采访中，冈萨雷斯表示他不打算辞职，并表示他有望赢得共和党初选，他指出这是他第三次进入初选决选。2024年，冈萨雷斯以约400票的优势击败了 Herrera。
冈萨雷斯没有详细说明他与 Santos-Aviles 的关系，也没有对他和该员工之间明显的短信进行评论，只是说：”我会让调查结果说话。”但他表示，”故事还有更多内容。”
当被问及他是否理解为什么人们可能对老板和下属之间的关系感到担忧时，冈萨雷斯承认”就工作环境进行讨论，确保某些事情不会发生，这一点很重要。”
但这位国会议员还表示，媒体对这些指控的报道存在偏差，并暗示这一争议是有组织的政治化行为。
“从一开始，这就关乎权力和金钱，”冈萨雷斯告诉帕格斯，称人们”几个月来一直攻击我”。
冈萨雷斯还表示：”在任何时候，她都没有受到任何形式的斥责或奖励，和办公室里的其他人一样。”他说 Santos-Aviles 获得的加薪是”全办公室员工加薪的一部分”。
过去，冈萨雷斯曾否认与 Santos-Aviles 有婚外情。他还暗示她的丈夫试图敲诈他，上个月他在 X 平台上发布了一封信，信中 Santos-Aviles 的丈夫的律师似乎在寻求与该议员达成30万美元的和解。
冈萨雷斯在周三重申了这些指控，称 Santos-Aviles 的丈夫 Adrian Aviles “试图勒索我”。
Aviles 的律师 Bobby Barrera 此前曾向哥伦比亚广播公司新闻否认了这些敲诈指控，称这是一封标准的保密和解信，并指责冈萨雷斯”试图扮演受害者”。
Santos-Aviles 和她的丈夫 Adrian Aviles 有一个8岁的儿子。Aviles 上个月在接受哥伦比亚广播公司新闻采访时表示：”你因掠夺性本能而毁了一个家庭。”
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https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/rep-tony-gonzales-admits-to-affair-with-staffer-who-later-died-by-suicide/
Rep. Tony Gonzales admits to affair with former staffer, calling it a “lapse in judgment”
March 4, 2026 / 9:07 PM EST / CBS News
Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that he had a relationship with a former staffer who later died by suicide, but alleged the controversy that has engulfed the situation is “about power and money.”
“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions,” he told conservative radio host Joe Pags when asked if the alleged affair took place. “Since then, I’ve reconciled with my wife, Angel. I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has, and my faith is as strong as ever.”
CBS News has obtained a text exchange from May 2024 in which Gonzales sent explicit messages to former staffer Regina Santos-Aviles, asking her to send a “sexy pic.” At one point, Gonzales responds: “This is going too far boss.” CBS News has also obtained a message in which Santos-Aviles told a colleague: “I had affair with our boss and I’m fine.”
Santos-Aviles died in September 2025 after setting herself on fire. Her death was ruled a suicide.
Gonzales said in Wednesday’s interview: “I had absolutely nothing to do with her tragic passing. And in fact, I was shocked just as much as everyone else.”
The lawmaker spoke to Pags one day after the GOP primary in his House district along the U.S.-Mexico border. Gonzales and hard-right challenger Brandon Herrera will both advance to a runoff election in May after neither candidate cleared 50% of the vote.
He also spoke out just hours after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into whether Gonzales “engaged in sexual misconduct” with an employee or “discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges.”
The House of Representatives’ code of conduct says lawmakers “may not engage in a sexual relationship with any employee of the House who works under the supervision of the Member.” It also bans “unwelcome sexual advances or conduct” toward staff.
Since the text messages were made public, Gonzales has faced calls to resign from members of both parties.
In Wednesday’s interview, Gonzales suggested that he doesn’t intend to resign and said he expects to win the GOP primary, noting that it’s the third time he has faced a primary runoff. In 2024, Gonzales defeated Herrera by around 400 votes.
Gonzales did not offer many specifics on his relationship with Santos-Aviles or comment on the apparent text messages between him and the staffer, saying, “I’ll let the investigation play out.” But he said, “there’s a whole lot more to the story.”
Asked if he understands why people may be concerned about a relationship between a boss and a subordinate, Gonzales acknowledged that “it is important that we have the conversation, you know, on workplace environment and making sure that certain things do not take place.”
But the congressman also argued that media coverage of the allegations has been skewed, and suggested the controversy is coordinated and politicized.
“From day one, this has been about power and money,” Gonzales told Pags, saying that people have “been attacking me for months on this.”
Gonzales also said: “At no time was she reprimanded or rewarded in any form or fashion other than anyone else in the office.” He said a raise that Santos-Aviles received was part of a “staff-wide pay increase.”
In the past, Gonzales has denied having an affair with Santos-Aviles. He has also suggested her husband is attempting to blackmail him, posting a letter to X last month in which her husband’s attorney appeared to seek a $300,000 settlement with the congressman.
Gonzales reiterated some of those allegations Wednesday, saying Santos-Aviles’ husband — Adrian Aviles — was “trying to shake me down.”
Aviles’ attorney, Bobby Barrera, has previously denied the extortion claims to CBS News, calling it a standard confidential settlement letter and accusing Gonzales of “trying to play the victim.”
Santos-Aviles and her husband, Adrian Aviles, had an 8-year-old son. Aviles said in an interview with CBS News last month: “You ended a family because of your predatorial instincts.”
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If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelineby calling or texting 988. You can alsochat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Eastern Time at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/rep-tony-gonzales-admits-to-affair-with-staffer-who-later-died-by-suicide/