Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo placed newscaster Mirthala Salinas on paid leave Thursday while it carries out an investigation into whether she breached journalistic ethics by having a relationship with someone she covered: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Salinas has been missing from her anchor chair on the 6 p.m. newscast for the last three nights, since news of the relationship broke. Telemundo's national newscast on Thursday evening aired a lengthy story about her removal.
"Given the seriousness of the allegations that have been made, we have decided to conduct an internal review of the decisions and events that led us to where we are today," said Manuel Abud, vice president and general manager of KVEA-TV. "In the meantime, Mirthala Salinas has been placed on a leave of absence from her duties pending this review. We will conduct this investigation with the utmost respect to personal privacy and journalistic standards."
Salinas, 35, defended her actions through a spokeswoman, voicing confidence that the internal probe would clear her of any ethical lapses.
"I welcome Telemundo's decision to conduct a comprehensive review of the matter and respect their desire that I allow the review to be completed before returning to work," she said in a statement. "I will cooperate with the station and appreciate their commitment to undertaking a thorough review of this situation. I am confident that when all the facts are analyzed it will be clear that I conducted myself in an appropriate way."
A source close to Salinas said the newscaster could document that she properly disclosed her relationship with the mayor to station officials.
The source also said the newscaster had asked her bosses multiple times to be excused from reporting that Villaraigosa would be separating from his wife. But station officials told her to deliver the news anyway, that the mayor's 20-year marriage to Corina Villaraigosa had dissolved.
But another source said that when Salinas' bosses confronted her about the Villaraigosa relationship she insisted it was a friendship and nothing more.
Salinas has never changed her position, the source said. The investigation is expected to review what she told her managers and when she told them.
