Governor Gavin Newsom Faces Renewed Scrutiny Over Past Affair with Former Staffer
California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing renewed scrutiny over a past affair with Ruby Rippey, a former staffer, as Rippey has provided new details in an essay published by Vanity Fair. The affair, which occurred over 20 years ago when Newsom was the mayor of San Francisco, involved Rippey, who was then his appointments secretary and the wife of his campaign manager, Alex Tourk. Newsom had previously admitted to the affair in 2007 and publicly apologized. Rippey's recent essay criticizes Newsom's portrayal of the affair in his memoir, where he described it as the 'briefest of affairs' and claimed he 'came clean' to Tourk. Rippey disputes this account, suggesting it gives Newsom undue credit. The affair was a significant political hurdle for Newsom at the time, but he was reelected as mayor later that year. Newsom's spokesperson has reiterated that he has moved on from this chapter of his life, focusing on his family and public service. 
