- Ruby Rippey, an aide to Gavin Newsom when he was Mayor of San Francisco, has spoken out for the first time in 20 years about their affair, which occurred in 2005-2006.
- Rippey, who was married to Newsom's campaign manager Alex Tourk at the time, described the affair as an “intoxication” amidst her struggles with alcohol and cocaine, and now states that “power does not distribute consequences evenly”.
- She confessed the affair to her then-husband in January 2007, leading to Tourk confronting Newsom and resigning from his team before the scandal became public.
- Newsom, now California's governor, addressed the controversy in his memoir, acknowledging the affair but Rippey disputes his account of how the truth came out and the affair's origin.
- Rippey's decision to speak out comes as Newsom's term as governor nears its end and he considers a potential presidential bid in 2028, with his office stating he has “acknowledged his role and publicly apologized”.
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