L.A. mayor confirms relationship with TV reporterVillaraigosa asks for privacy even as he announces his relationship.
Los Angeles Daily NewsLOS ANGELES -- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday defended his romantic relationship with a Telemundo newswoman, saying it was a ?friendship that evolved over time? and has had no effect on his performance as mayor.
Amid a media frenzy after swearing-in ceremonies for new Los Angeles Unified school board members, Villaraigosa reiterated that his relationship with Mirthala Salinas is a personal matter and he appealed for privacy.
?I believe that the vast majority of people base their sense of trust on what you do in your public life, whether or not you keep your promises,? the mayor said. ?I'll leave the speculation to others. I'm not going to get into every detail of my relationship, nor should I.?
The relationship came to light in a Daily News story published Tuesday after the mayor had dodged months of questions about the breakup of his marriage to his wife of 20 years, Corina.
Since January, the mayor has repeatedly faced questioning that began when reporters noticed he and his wife had stopped making public appearances together and his gold wedding band was missing from his ring finger.
When asked Tuesday how long his relationship with Salinas had been going on, Villaraigosa said only that it was a ?friendship that evolved over time.?
While patiently answering several questions, Villaraigosa bristled when asked whether the newswoman was pregnant, calling the question ?outrageous? and answering, ?No, she's not pregnant.?
But while Villaraigosa sought to quell further speculation, some questioned the ethical implications for Salinas and Villaraigosa.
?It's not being a prude to think it's dishonorable (for a politician in the public eye) to carry on an illicit affair with anyone, let alone a journalist who covers you,? said Michael Josephson, president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angeles.
The mayor defended Salinas as a ?consummate journalistic professional? and said she'd asked about a year ago ?to be removed? from her role in the station's political coverage.
Manuel Abud, vice president and general manager of Telemundo Los Angeles (Channel 52), issued a statement Tuesday saying Salinas covered the political beat until about last August and since then has been a general correspondent and backup anchor.
Working as the news anchor on June 8, Salinas read the story of the mayor's announcement that he and his wife were separating.
?It is company policy not to comment on the personal lives of our employees,? Abud said in the statement. ?Mirthala Salinas is one of our most respected reporters and a great professional.?
Abud's statement also said Telemundo is ?fully committed to journalistic excellence.?
?Every day we strive for the highest standards of journalistic ethics and make every effort to protect our objectivity and avoid possible conflicts of interest,? he said.
But Josephson said Salinas might have had an even bigger professional conflict than the mayor.
?She as a journalist must maintain independence from her journalistic sources. Whoever listens to her has to have confidence she's doing the best she can objectively,? he said.
?If (the station) knew, there's a little blemish on their credibility as a news organization if she continued to do any serious coverage of him.?
Villaraigosa and Salinas have appeared together at several events, particularly those oriented toward Latino politics and culture, but neither friends nor enemies reported seeing public displays of affection between them.
However, a neighbor told the Daily News the mayor has been sighted at Salinas' upscale Studio City town house in recent months.
And when Salinas' mother, Yolanda Avila Fernandez, died in early January, the mayor cleared his usually hectic calendar and flew to Phoenix for the services.
Salinas has not responded to requests for an interview.
Last month, the Villaraigosas formally separated. Three days later, the mayor held a press conference to say he was taking responsibility for what happened, and that he felt a ?personal sense of failure about it.?
He deflected inquiries at the time about the reasons for the split and said his primary concern is for the couple's two teenage children, Antonio Jr. and Natalie Fe.
A day later, Corina filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
The turmoil is not the first for the Villaraigosas. In 1994, they separated, and Corina, who had been battling thyroid cancer, filed for divorce after Villaraigosa had an affair.
Corina, through the Mayor's Office, has declined an interview.
Article
