A former staffer who had an affair with California Governor Gavin Newsom over 20 years ago has come forward with new details about the relationship. Ruby Rippey, who was Newsom’s appointments secretary at the time, wrote an essay for Vanity Fair criticizing Newsom’s characterization of the affair in his memoir.

Background of the Affair

The affair took place in 2005, when Newsom was the mayor of San Francisco. Rippey was married to Alex Tourk, Newsom’s campaign manager. Newsom had filed for divorce from his wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, before the affair began. The relationship was an early political stumbling block for Newsom, who later held a news conference to apologize for his actions.

Rippey’s essay offers a different perspective on the affair, stating that she was struggling with alcohol addiction at the time and that the #MeToo movement has helped her understand the power imbalance in their relationship. She also criticizes Newsom’s description of the affair as the ‘briefest of affairs’ and his claim that he ‘came clean’ to Tourk about the relationship.

Response from Newsom’s Team

A spokesperson for Newsom responded to Rippey’s essay, stating that the governor had acknowledged his role in the affair and apologized for it nearly two decades ago. The spokesperson also noted that Newsom has since married Jennifer Siebel Newsom, started a family, and focused on serving Californians.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.