California Governor Gavin Newsom was revealed to have had an inappropriate relationship with his former girlfriend, Ruby Rippey-Tourk, while he was mayor of San Francisco. Rippey-Tourk argued that the presence of a powerful figure inherently increases the possibility of abuse of power, even without coercion, and stated that further explanation is needed regarding her relationship with Newsom. The relationship between the two was first exposed in 2007, and Newsom admitted all facts at the time. Recently, when Newsom referred to the relationship as "a brief romance" in his memoir, sparking controversy, Rippey-Tourk spoke out again. She emphasized that she was the first to inform her husband about the affair, contrary to Newsom's claim.
