Antonio's news reporter mistress revealed, finally

The Daily News finally names Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's mistress: Telemundo reporter and anchor Mirthala Salinas. Here's the link.

The news was "the get" of L.A. for 2007, with reporters at the L.A. Times, the Weekly, the DN, and certainly several others all clamoring to find enough sources who would confirm it. Congrats, as it were, to Beth Barrett. LAObserved has this good summary post. With speculation going back as far as late January as to what was going on in the mayor's marraige, it really is incredible it's taken this long for Salinas' name to come out. (Interesting how the L.A. Times basically gave the mayor free ad space in February to try to squash the rumor.)

In any event, this is relevant because the mayor, by his own design, is as pop as Paris Hilton. And because there's an obvious ethical line being crossed by both parties. Otherwise, it's pretty sad. For him, for his family, for L.A. you might say. (There goes a whole half of the mayor's last name...)

* Photo from the Daily News of Mirthala interviewing Antonio at Factor's Famous Deli in May 2005, during the campaign, which I helped cover at the L.A. Times. Antonio, full of promise, went behind the deli counter to bearhug immigrant cooks and meatcutters.

** Possible updates later.

Comments

[chimatli]

Ah, what did I say about MAPs and their secrets? ;)

[calwatch]

On the other hand, most politicians have secrets that are well known to scribes that cover the person full time, or the staff who has to see them all day. The difference is when what is normal office gossip leaks out on the Internet. It may not be newsworthy but it is certainly interesting.

[caro]

Damn, I totally spaced out on the last name issue. So is he going back to Villar? Ouch, that is painful, to carry around a constant reminder that your marriage didn't work out.

[katynka]

Regarding Caro's question above - I'd like to suggest Villasinvergüenza.

[caro]

LOL!! Touché Katynka