Candidate For CA Governor Calls on Rival Gavin Newsom to Resign Over Affair With Best Friend’s Wife

Amanda Renteria, a candidate for California Governor, called on rival and current Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom to resign over a “history of sexual misconduct in the workplace.”

In a tweetstorm nearly 30 posts long, Renteria blasted Newsom for an affair — revealed in 2007 — with his campaign aide Ruby Rippey-Tourk, who also happened to be the wife of his friend and campaign manager, Alex Tourk.

In 2007, @SFGate reported – Gavin Newsom had multiple sexual encounters with his appointments secretary while he was mayor. That employee’s husband was Newsom’s best friend and campaign manager. /9

— Amanda Renteria (@AmandaRenteria) March 15, 2018

But that’s not all. To top off the barrage of tweets, Renteria also mentioned Newsom’s relationship with 19-year-old Brittanie Mountz, whom he met while Mountz was a hostess at Aqua, a trendy San Francisco restaurant.

.@LATSeema Sadly, there’s more. @SFChronicle reported that Newsom, then a 38 yr old mayor, dated a 19 year old student. He took her to a city gala where she was photographed consuming alcohol. Similar to State Senator Mendoza. https://t.co/y4yD2Xutvg

— Amanda Renteria (@AmandaRenteria) March 15, 2018

While both relationships had already been reported more than a decade ago by ABC and SFGate, Renteria said “most voters don’t know,” while making it clear she hasn’t forgotten. Now, she’s resurfacing the stories to highlight what she believes is cause for her challenger to resign from his post as lieutenant governor.

Across the country, women and men are calling out misuse of power. It’s time to root it out wherever it happens. https://t.co/TDnxt1l9ju

— Amanda Renteria (@AmandaRenteria) March 15, 2018

In response to news of the affair with Newsom, Rippey-Tourk attempted to deflect the blame from him with a Facebook post.

“Yes, I was a subordinate, but I was also a free-thinking, 33-(year)-old adult married woman & mother,” she wrote, according to The Sacramento Bee. “(I also happened to have an unfortunate inclinations towards drinking-to-excess & self-destruction.) I can’t blame anyone for my part in this ugly episode.”

Newsom has apologized since the affair, but Renteria maintains he should leave his post.

Read Renteria’s full statement below:

Today, I am calling on Gavin Newsom to step down from his position as Lieutenant Governor. Someone with a history of sexual misconduct in the workplace doesn’t deserve to hold elected office in California. /1 pic.twitter.com/k1s6YRmkfK

— Amanda Renteria (@AmandaRenteria) March 15, 2018

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!