Newsom denies using cocaine,
accuses Daly of being "sleazy"

Mayor Gavin Newsom held a noon press confernce today to talk about a solar mapping website. After taking questions about the website, Newsom got hit with a question from a San Francisco Chronicle reporter who asked Newsom to respond to allegations of a cocaine problem. The question came on the heels of Supervisor Chris Daly calling Newsom a hypocrite for cutting funding to a substance abuse program in the 2007-2008 budget.
Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

By Luke Thomas

June 20, 2007, 5:15 p.m.

Mayor Gavin Newsom held a press conference today and got sideswiped with a question from the Chronicle asking the mayor to comment on his alleged cocaine use.

The question arose on the heels of Supervisor Chris Daly's speech at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting during which Daly called Newsom a hypocrite for cutting funding to a substance abuse program, in the amount of $2 million, when Newsom, himself, is seeking help with substance abuse.

Newsom admitted to an alcohol problem in February and subsequently entered a substance abuse treatment program for the problem. Newsom, however, has never admitted publicly to a cocaine problem despite rumors to the contrary that surfaced at the same time rumors circulated about Newsom's illicit affair with Ruby Rippey-Tourk.

Rumors of Newsom's affair with Rippey-Tourk proved to be true when Newsom confessed to the affair stating, "Everything you've heard and read is true."

Newsom paused for a moment and then responded to the reporter's question of whether he has used cocaine.

"The answer to that is absolutely not. It's offensive and it's about as low as it gets. It's about as sleazy as it gets," Newsom said.

"I'm not naive. I've seen a lot of things said and done, but usually politicians don't do the dirty work; they have their handlers and consultants do the dirty work. I've never seen an elected official during a legislative session take this kind of cheap shot.

"For whatever reason he [Daly] doesn't want to engage me on the issues, as opposed to our free wi-fi, as opposed to our efforts on the justice center, as opposed to community police officers… for whatever reason he doesn't want to come out from behind the shadows and engage me directly because of his political opposition towards me. Now he's taking the cheapest of cheap shots."

Newsom, upon finishing his answer, abruptly left the press conference.

Following the press conference, Daly was besieged by a number of reporters, including this writer, and was asked to comment on Newsom's denial.

"I will re-iterate my concern about the health cuts proposed in the mayor's budget. Over $6 million in cuts, $2 million in substance abuse programs," Daly said.

When asked where the allegation of Newsom's cocaine use came from, Daly said he saw the report by CBS' Hank Plante in February in which Newsom addressed the rumors of his alleged cocaine use.

"I believe Hank Plante asked the direct question and he did not receive a direct answer. Also I believe it was mentioned by the attorney for police who have a complaint against the city regarding Newsom's handling of the Videogate scandal."

Daly was referring to a report by Dan Noyes in which attorney Waukeen McCoy challenged Newsom to be deposed under oath about Newsom's alleged cocaine use.

Daly then said he had heard multiple rumors of Newsom's alleged cocaine use from multiple sources, but declined to elaborate on the source of the rumors.

"I'm not here to out people. I'm here to speak the truth. I'm here to fight for the services for the neediest San Franciscans and I stand by what I said yesterday."

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