Attorney claims Tony Gonzales coerced his late aide into a relationship and is "playing the role of a victim in a situation that he created"
CBSN
An attorney for the widower of Rep. Tony Gonzales' former aide alleges the Texas Republican coerced the staffer into a sexual relationship and is now "playing the role of a victim in a situation that he created." Aaron Navarro and Fin Daniel Gómez contributed to this report.
An attorney for the widower of Rep. Tony Gonzales' former aide alleges the Texas Republican coerced the staffer into a sexual relationship and is now "playing the role of a victim in a situation that he created."
The staffer, Regina Santos-Aviles, died by suicide in September after setting herself on fire, according to the autopsy report. Months earlier, she claimed in a text message to a colleague that she "had an affair with our boss," according to the text message, which was obtained by CBS News.
Gonzales, who represents a sprawling district along the U.S.-Mexico border, has denied allegations that he had a sexual relationship with Santos-Aviles. He has also accused her widower's lawyer of attempting to blackmail him by seeking $300,000 in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement — which the lawyer denied.
Attorney Bobby Barrera, who's representing Santos-Aviles' husband, Adrien Aviles, spoke to CBS News in an interview Wednesday. Aviles was present for the interview but didn't speak to CBS News.
Barrera said the congressman's relationship with the late staffer was "an open, shielded secret" and that the secrecy was maintained at Gonzales' explicit request.
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