LA Mayor's Reporter Lover Suspended

A Telemundo reporter who covered the Los Angeles political beat while having an affair with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been suspended for two months without pay. Mirthala Salinas' involvement with the then-married mayor was an open secret at the station when she broadcast the breakup of his 20-year marriage. Media watchdogs are calling for her termination.

Three of the newscaster's superiors were also disciplined. "Our news policy standards with respect to conflict of interest were clearly violated," said a memo to the staff. Salinas did not comment. The mayor said he regretted "that decisions I have made in my personal life have been a distraction for the city." (More Los Angeles stories.)