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Nov 24, 2009 8:30 pm US/Eastern
Will There Be Political Fallout From Separation?
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
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Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl told KDKA's Marty Griffin that he and his wife, Erin, are splitting.
KDKA
Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's announcement that he and his wife have separated came as a shock to the political establishment on Grant Street as well as the general public.
Is there any political fallout from it?
To some extent, the political fallout from an elected official's private family matters depend on how much information gets out to the public.
Delano: "How much do you think the public is entitled to know about this?"
John McLaughlin: "Whatever is filed in the public record."
Delano: "That's it?"
McLaughlin: "That's it and they file quite a bit in the public record."
But so far there's nothing in the public record about Luke and Erin Ravenstahl because they're separating, not divorcing and neither spouse is alleging wrong-doing by the other, but that won't stop speculation.
"That's their own personal business, you know. Of course the public is going to talk," Laurie Corsi, from Munhall, said.
And politicians know their lives are an open book.
"This a tough business. This happens to people every day but because of whom those people are now, it's out in the public domain," City Council President Dough Shields said. "I'm sure there's a lot of chattering about all that."
Some of that chattering raises questions about infidelity and even those who oppose the mayor say that's personal unless it involves government conduct.
"You've seen governors and whatnot and people using credit cards and campaign money for dalliances and what not -- and that becomes a public matter at that point and that's pretty ugly too and you don't want to go down that road," Shields said.
But nobody so far, including former mayoralty candidate Kevin Acklin sees any political fallout from the Ravenstahls' announcement.
"No question you give up some aspect of your private life when you stand to run for office or are an elected official," he said. "This is squarely an issue that falls within their private life, and I'm hopeful they're able to work through things."
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