EXCLUSIVE
L.A. MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA
AND TELEMUNDO TV ANCHOR
MIRTHALA SALINAS:

STILL AN ITEM?

NEW QUESTIONS:
DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT
NBC/TELEMUNDO AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT'S KNOWLEDGE AND INACTION DURING YEARS OF SALINAS DATING THE POLITICIANS SHE COVERED

(July 16th, 2007 4:34PM PST)

BY ERIC LONGABARDI

ERSNews has learned that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his "girlfriend" Mirthala Salinas have secretly met since the scandal broke nearly two weeks ago. The most recent meeting taking place late last week. The meeting involved the Mayor with his city provided security detail in tow. Multiple sources have confirmed to ERSNews that the secret meeting in fact took place.

Mayor Villaraigosa for the past two weeks has been attempting to recover from the revelation of a "personal relationship" with Telemundo political reporter and anchor Mirthala Salinas for at least a year and half. The relationship is believed to have played a part in his separation and now pending divorce from his wife Corina. New details about their secret relationship continue to trickle out every day since the story broke.

As for Salinas, she was placed on leave while her station Telemundo KVEA in Los Angeles investigates whether or not Salinas violated ethical standards by dating the Mayor and other notable politicians while covering them as a journalist.

ERSNews first revealed that the Mayor was not the first major California politician Salinas dated while covering the news in recent years. Her list of political boyfriends seems to be a who’s-who’s of Hispanic politicians in the state. Her relationship with Speaker of the California Assembly Fabian Nunez occurred in 2003 and 2004. Other media outlets have reported other notable politicians Ms. Salinas dated prior to the Mayor.

The Mayor first acknowledged his personal relationship with Salinas publicly in response to inquiries by the Los Angeles Daily News on July 3, 2007. The Daily News had informed the Mayor that it was planning to publish a story about the relationship, which had been rumored across town, but was not confirmed by the mayor or by any media sources independently.

On Thursday of this week ERSNews revealed exclusively that the condo Salinas purchased in Studio City in early 2006 had been bought from a political supporter and campaign contributor who was is the CFO of one of the largest PR/Lobbing firms in Los Angeles. The Mayor since has denied having any knowledge or involvement in the condo sale in response to the ERSNews report.

The condo sale report was widely repeated in the LA local media and brought new questions of possible insider favoritism and perks to the already extensive allegations of questionable journalistic ethics on the part of reporter Salinas. The mayor has repeatedly said Ms. Salinas is a consummate professional journalist. He has denied the charge that he gave any special treatment to Ms. Salinas or her station.

ERSNews has learned that Salinas met with Telemundo’s lawyers last week after returning from being out of town, where she fled to avoid the glare of the media spotlight. She also met with a lawyer last week and has been staying with a friend in Los Angeles, according to sources.

Insiders close to NBC/Telemundo tell ERSNews that the network's human resources department in New York is conducting the investigation into any possible violations of the NBC/GE/Telemundo standards guidelines by Salinas. ERSNews has also learned that during the time Salinas was a political reporter, her personal exploits were brought to the attention of senior management at both Telemundo and its sister station KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.

Manuel Abud VP/GM KVEA-TV/Telemundo & Paula Madison former
General Manager KNBC-TV Los Angeles

Sources inside NBC/Universal confirm to ERSNews that Paula Madison, former General Manager of KNBC-TV and now head of diversity for NBC/Universal had the authority and was in fact the person who was responsible for removing Salinas from the political reporting beat due to her personal relationship with the Mayor. ERSNews sought direct comment from Ms. Madison about her role in the case, but was referred to NBC/Telemundo spokesman Victor Franco, who declined comment, saying only that the internal investigation of the matter was nearing completion and they withhold any comment until it was complete. Asked by ERSNew.com when that would be, spokesman Franco would only say "soon".

Multiple sources close to Telemundo and NBC tell ERSNews exclusively that on numerous occasions during Salina’s tenure with the station, that her personal relationships with the politicians she dated while covering and reporting on them as a journalist, were brought to station management's attention. According to those same sources, who fear retaliation for revealing and exposing management's involvement in the case, their concerns were dismissed repeatedly by management.

A source close the case even went as far to tell ERSNews.com that Salinas "special relationship" with the Mayor was utilized by station management to garner access to the Mayor when it was beneficial for the station to do so.

This past weekend Mayor Villaraigosa canceled a regular appearance on local TV station KABC when the line of questioning about his relationship with Salinas was going to be a major area of discussion for the program. The Mayor has said recently that he wants to focus on doing his job as Mayor and not his personal life.