California lawmaker apologizes after extramarital affair comes to light
Assemblyman Phil Ting, who chairs the Assembly Budget Committee, issued an apology to his fellow lawmakers and constituents on Saturday for having an extramarital affair.
The San Francisco Democrat’s affair first was reported in Communities Digital News, a conservative online news outlet that ran a story Friday titled “Did CA Budget Chair Phil Ting use an extramarital affair to craft legislation?”
The article reported that Ting had an extramarital affair with a woman named Carmel Foster, whom the article alleged he met on a dating website called What’s Your Price.
Ting took to Twitter to respond to the allegations.
“I am writing to offer each and every one of you a direct apology that my personal behavior has hurt you,” Ting wrote in an extended Twitter thread. “The allegation that my bills or votes were ever driven by any personal consideration is false. I have fought for the rights of working people my entire adult life.
“But I was not faithful to my marriage vows and for that, I am deeply, deeply sorry. I am making my apologies to my family directly and privately and ask, for their sake, the private space to do so. I violated my family’s trust and I must now work, to the extent that I am able, to heal the wounds I have caused them and all of you.
“I will continue to do my best to represent my district and to work with my colleagues to address the many challenges facing our state.”
Fellow San Francisco Democrat Sen. Scott Wiener replied to Ting’s thread saying, “Thank you for this sincere expression about a deeply painful situation. I wish you & your family the best in moving through this.”
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, also issued a statement on Twitter about the incident.
“(Ting) has made a sincere apology to his constituents and colleagues for his mistake in violating his marriage vows and I have personally accepted his apology,” Rendon wrote. “The allegations in a right-wing blog appear designed to undermine our efforts to bring greater economic justice to working people. Rest assured, we will not be distracted or deterred from our mission.”
This story was originally published June 20, 2020 at 1:39 PM.