California Lt. Governor Gavin Newson (D), now running for governor, says the #MeToo movement doesn’t apply to his affair with a female staffer who was married to his chief campaign adviser.
Newsom’s past affair made national headlines at the time, Politico reports:
“California's lieutenant governor became the subject of national headlines in February 2007 when it was revealed he had a brief affair with a subordinate, Ruby Rippey-Tourk, who was also the wife of his chief campaign adviser. At the time, Newsom was separated from his first wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, now a Fox News host.”
But, addressing the scandal at a Politico event on Monday, Newsom said the #MeToo movement should focus on “deeper issues” than his sexual affair with a subordinate:
“The #MeToo movement represents "a profound opportunity to address deeper issues,'' he said, adding: ‘It’s not a political movement, it’s a cultural movement.’”
“I applaud women for coming forward” as part of the #MeToo movement, Newsom added.
One woman who has come forward – the subordinate Newsom had the affair with – agrees with Newsom that the #MeToo movement doesn’t apply to the Democrat running for governor:
“Responding Wednesday on her Facebook page to a story about Newsom’s remarks, Rippey Gibney — who has since remarried — wrote: ‘To be clear: I fully support the #metoo movement. In this particular instance, however, I am doubtful that it applies.’
“Yes, I was a subordinate but I was also a free-thinking, 33-year-old, adult married woman & mother.”