Mayor: A Friendship That Evolved

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday defended his romantic relationship with a Telemundo newswoman, saying it is a "friendship that evolved over time" and has had no effect on his performance as mayor. Beth Barrett and Naush Boghossian in the Daiily News.

Amid a media frenzy after swearing-in ceremonies for new Los Angeles Unified school board members, Villaraigosa reiterated that his relationship with Mirthala Salinas is a personal matter and he appealed for privacy.

"I believe that the vast majority of people base their sense of trust on what you do in your public life, whether or not you keep your promises," the mayor said. "I'll leave the speculation to others. I'm not going to get into every detail of my relationship, nor should I."

The relationship came to light in a Daily News story published Tuesday after the mayor had dodged months of questions about the breakup of his marriage to his wife of 20 years, Corina.