The affair between Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and a local TV reporter may become an issue in a proposed real estate development in the city.
Telemundo, owner of KVEA-TV, is weighing the fate of journalist Mirthala Salinas, who reported on the mayor while she was romantically involved with him.
At the same time, NBC Universal, owner of Telemundo, has proposed a $3-billion development in Los Angeles that includes 2,900 new homes and 1.6 million square feet of commercial space. The project would require city approval.
Villaraigosa told the Los Angeles Times that he saw no conflicts of interest in the tangled relationships between him and the TV station’s parent companies.
“I think that they have to act in accordance with their corporate rules and regulations, and I have to act in a way that is separate and apart from all that,” the mayor said.