Morning Note

Remember last fall, when one of Congressman Tony Gonzales’s staffers died by setting herself on fire? 

The woman’s family claimed her on-and-off affair with the politician led to her suicide, accusing the lawmaker of abusing his power to take advantage of his employee. An old text message appears to confirm the illicit relationship. 

A former Gonzales aide on Tuesday shared a text she received from now-deceased Regina Santos-Aviles in which the 35-year-old acknowledged having an “affair with our boss.” The unnamed staffer reportedly faulted the congressman for the ordeal, saying his behavior hurled Santos-Aviles into a spiral of depression in the months before her death. 

Both clandestine lovers were married with children at the time of the apparent affair. Their story’s takeaway is plainly obvious: don’t cheat on your spouse. 

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