“I want to make it clear that everything you’ve heard and read is true,” he said. “I am deeply sorry about that. I’ve hurt someone I care deeply about, Alex Tourk and his friends and family. That is something I have to live with.”

His apology went beyond damage to personal relationships and extended to San Fran residents.

“I’m also sorry that I’ve let the people of San Francisco down,” he said. “They expect a lot of their mayor… I am committed to restoring their trust and confidence and will work very hard in the upcoming months to make sure that the business of running the city is framed appropriately.”

WATCH:

 

The fallout was immediate.

Tourk, one of Newsom’s closest allies, resigned as the mayor’s chief of staff, and the scandal triggered broader questions about trust, responsibility, and the overlap between personal judgment