Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) decried the claims that he had an affair with his congressional aide before she set herself on fire as “completely untruthful” in his first public comments since her September death.

Gonzales, who represents Texas’ 23 District, which encompasses the southwest part of the state, denied that he was romantically linked with 35-year-old Regina Santos-Aviles.

“The rumors are completely untruthful, and Regina’s family has asked for privacy,” the married congressman said during an appearance at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Thursday, according to the San Antonio Current.

“In politics, you have to have thick skin, and my name is on the door and so people are throwing rocks at me saying really nasty things, that’s where we get that,” he said.

The fath

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