S.F. mayor apologizes for affair

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

SAN FRANCISCO - Mayor Gavin Newsom apologized Thursday for having a sexual relationship with his former campaign manager's wife. "I'm deeply sorry," Newsom said during a brief news conference at City Hall the day after the aide resigned. Newsom appeared poised but visibly emotional. He spoke for about a minute and left without taking questions.

Alex Tourk, 39, resigned Wednesday after confronting his boss about his relationship with his wife, Ruby Rippey-Tourk, 34, who once worked as the mayor's appointment secretary.

Newsom acknowledged that he had the affair first reported Wednesday night on the San Francisco Chronicle's Web site and apologized for what he called "a lapse of judgment."

"I want to make it clear that everything you've read is true and I'm deeply sorry about that," he said. "I hurt someone I care deeply about, Alex Tourk and his family and friends, and that is something I'm deeply sad about and sorry for."

Tourk, 39, served as Newsom's deputy chief of staff until September, when he became manager of the re-election campaign.

After his wife told him about the affair, Tourk approached the mayor about it, then resigned.

Tourk did not immediately return phone calls and e-mails seeking comment by The Associated Press.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the Newsom campaigns and the city of San Francisco and its residents," Tourk said in a statement released by the mayor's office Wednesday.

Newsom, 39, who is seeking a second four-year term in November, said in the statement that he accepted Tourk's resignation "with great sadness," adding that he was "an extraordinary leader of our campaigns and a tireless public servant."

Rippey-Tourk told her husband that the affair was short-lived and happened about 1 1/2 years ago, when she worked for Newsom. At the time, Newsom was in divorce proceedings with his then-wife, Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle.

Rippey-Tourk, who left the mayor's office last spring and is now a local radio host, did not return the Chronicle's calls for comment, the newspaper said.

San Francisco residents said the mayor's interoffice dalliance would have little bearing on his performance as mayor.

"I could care less," said Lee Simmons, 79, at a downtown bank. "Newsom is great. I voted for him last time and I'll vote for him again."

Tom Abbott, 36, an executive recruiter, said that having an affair with a loyal aide's wife was "a total slimeball move.

"Any guy who puts that much mousse in his hair can't be trusted," Abbott said. "You don't screw over your own boys."

However, Abbott said that he would probably vote for Newsom in November.

Construction worker Geremy Curtis, 34, agreed that while the news out of Newsom's office made for interesting gossip, "it will be laughed off," he said.

"We put these people on a pedestal and think they are above all usual activities, and when they do something that is completely human, we are astonished," he said.

Curtis predicted that San Francisco voters would forgive the mayor if he owned up to any lapses in judgment.

link

----------

former campaign manager's comment about it all: like cool dude!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

...pfft...dammit...the image won't work.

Affairs suck but it takes 2 to Tango and one of these ladies is Ruby...not sure which.

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

...pfft...dammit...the image won't work.

Affairs suck but it takes 2 to Tango and one of these ladies is Ruby...not sure which.

what, no outrage over him screwing the "hired help"?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

...pfft...dammit...the image won't work.

Affairs suck but it takes 2 to Tango and one of these ladies is Ruby...not sure which.

what, no outrage over him screwing the "hired help"?

You think the fault lies more with the Mayor than the wife?

[Killer_Clown_2009 0]

They were already getting a divorce.................I wouldn't consider sex outside marriage during a divorce an affair.

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

...pfft...dammit...the image won't work.

Affairs suck but it takes 2 to Tango and one of these ladies is Ruby...not sure which.

what, no outrage over him screwing the "hired help"?

You think the fault lies more with the Mayor than the wife?

yes. boss of her husband. talk about an abuse of power. but i'm not surprised some won't raise cain about that.

and whether getting a divorce or not, jane, they are still married until the judge slams down the gavel and pronounces them divorced. ergo, sex outside the marriage. thanks for playing.

[jordanianprincess 0]

"Any guy who puts that much mousse in his hair can't be trusted," Abbott said. "You don't screw over your own boys."

It's so comforting to know that people look for the important things when voting for political leaders.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

...pfft...dammit...the image won't work.

Affairs suck but it takes 2 to Tango and one of these ladies is Ruby...not sure which.

what, no outrage over him screwing the "hired help"?

You think the fault lies more with the Mayor than the wife?

yes. boss of her husband. talk about an abuse of power. but i'm not surprised some won't raise cain about that.

and whether getting a divorce or not, jane, they are still married until the judge slams down the gavel and pronounces them divorced. ergo, sex outside the marriage. thanks for playing.

You're making a lot of assumptions there, Charles. Just because she worked for him doesn't mean he pressured her into having an affair with him. I say the fault lies equally with both of them unless she were to come out and state otherwise.

[Alex+R 0]

If they were divorcing, then the guy technically violated the Bros Before Hos code, but she was a Bro's ex, not a Bro's wife... The legality of it hardly matters in this case.

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

...pfft...dammit...the image won't work.

Affairs suck but it takes 2 to Tango and one of these ladies is Ruby...not sure which.

what, no outrage over him screwing the "hired help"?

You think the fault lies more with the Mayor than the wife?

yes. boss of her husband. talk about an abuse of power. but i'm not surprised some won't raise cain about that.

and whether getting a divorce or not, jane, they are still married until the judge slams down the gavel and pronounces them divorced. ergo, sex outside the marriage. thanks for playing.

You're making a lot of assumptions there, Charles. Just because she worked for him doesn't mean he pressured her into having an affair with him. I say the fault lies equally with both of them unless she were to come out and state otherwise.

what assumption? that her husband worked for the mayor? that's in the article. it was the mayor that was in divorce proceedings, not the campaign manager and his wife. the actions of the mayor probably broke up that marriage. just what we need, another politician that can't keep his pants on.

furthermore, i find it odd that a person in a position of power can have an affair with a worker/employee and there is no coercion, either overt or implied. he was the woman's boss and he should know better. end of story.

If they were divorcing, then the guy technically violated the Bros Before Hos code, but she was a Bro's ex, not a Bro's wife... The legality of it hardly matters in this case.

did you even read the story before commenting?

"Alex Tourk, 39, resigned Wednesday after confronting his boss about his relationship with his wife, Ruby Rippey-Tourk, 34, who once worked as the mayor's appointment secretary."

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

What he did was certainly inappropriate considering that the woman's husband worked for him in a high level and extremely sensitive capacity. At least that would prompt one of them (probably the betrayed husband) to quit his job because of "conflict of interest". Not exactly fair really... And not fair to his staff either.

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

What he did was certainly inappropriate considering that the woman's husband worked for him in a high level and extremely sensitive capacity. At least that would prompt one of them (probably the betrayed husband) to quit his job because of "conflict of interest". Not exactly fair really... And not fair to his staff either.

i'm sure he'll have a fun time hiring in the future.