Gibson had affair with legislative aide

November 16, 2012

Bruce Gibson

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson admitted to having an affair with his legislative aide and said he plans to seek a divorce from his wife. [SLO Tribune]

Gibson said the affair with Legislative Assistant Cherie Aispuro had lasted for a “fairly long time” during his tenure as District Two Supervisor. Aispuro, a longtime county employee, has served as Gibson’s assistant since he took office in January 2007.

While Gibson did not say when the affair began, sources reported to CalCoastNews that the supervisor was having an affair with someone in the county prior to his 2010 reelection.

Gibson said he does not plan to resign from his position, but he did say that he breached the trust of his constituents.

“Outside the hurt that I have caused in my family, I am embarrassed at the breach of trust that I have caused to occur with my constituents,” Gibson said. “Being an elected official does depend on a degree of trust between constituents and elected officials, and I feel this relationship and my concealment of it will cause people to question my integrity.”

Gibson said he first told his wife about the affair last weekend and then notified County Administrator Dan Buckshi and County Counsel Rita Neal on Tuesday.

Buckshi and Neal are investigating as to whether any misuse of county resources occurred.

“At this point, based on initial review of the situation, it appears that no county resources have been improperly used and no county policies have been violated,” Buckshi said.

County staff will reassign Aispuro, who has worked previously in the Clerk-Recorder’s Office, to a position in a different department.

Gibson, 60, described his relationship with Aispuro, who is in her early 50s, as “a matter of the heart,” but said that it did not interfere with their work.

“Both Cherie and I gave 110 percent to this job,” he said.

Gibson has two grown sons with his wife, San Luis Obispo doctor Grace Crittenden. He said he spoke up about the affair because he believed the news would spread after he told his wife.


Loading...
146 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Told you he was a SHMUCK!!!!!!


He’s a snake in his private AND personal life.


I meant public.


What is it with these sociopathics who aspire to be public servants when they are EXACTLY the wrong types for the job.


….looks to me that the American Public has little faith in a person that has little money….so they vote in the wealthy because they MUST have some kind of intelligence….SCHMUCKS!!!!!


The name of the game is name recognition. How do you get that? T.V., radio, newspaer, etc. How do you pay for that? MONEY!! Has nothing to do with the lack of faith you mention.


Must be something in the water that gets drunk at the County Super’s meetings. A real lovey-dovey atmosphere – at county tax-payers expense. Adam, now Bruce. Frank M, better get your act together, you are falling behind in having an affair – or maybe it just hasn’t came out yet. And soon we will have a female as a County Super – maybe the affairs will swing the other way.


If Bruce, or Adam, had any real sense of propriety or understanding of what it really means when you are elected to serve – they would do a ‘Petraeus’ and resign – now. And the woman that was part of this would not be transferred to another job (for which she may not be qualified) yet get her same salary – paid from the Super’s account.


But the real story, and the one that is toughest to swallow, is that we, the voters, get what we vote for.

We have exactly the type of government, at all levels, that we deserve. When will we learn? – probably never. We continue to be ‘suckers’ for ‘smooth-talking’ politicans and continue to elect them to office, in the blind belief that they will serve us, not themselves.


The county policy is available on-line. The offensive and intimidating work environment is hard to defend when it involves a supervisor/subordinate relationship. Also, others who may have witnessed their behavior can be offended in violation of this policy as well. Policy seems appropriate, behavior by Mr.. Gibson is not. To ignore this issue places the county in a position of grave civil liabilty. One of the county employee organizations could, and perhaps should, file suit as an unfair application of the policy and behavior expectations. Other county departments have recently enforced this policy resulting in severe discipline. When such conduct is permissable by an elected representative, it is truely a very big deal.


Sexual Harassment: Includes unwelcome sexual overtures by any officer, employee, supervisor or manager, whether written, verbal, physical or visual where submission is made a term or condition of employment or the basis of an employment decision. Sexually harassing conduct unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.


Because the County seeks to prevent any form of illegal harassment, behavior such as unnecessary touching, sexual or discriminatory remarks or joking, which may lead to illegal harassment, will not be tolerated.


Get rid of BOTH of these OVER PAID & unproductive flunkies.


Note that the County’s top priority is placing Aispuro in another $70K position ASAP regardless of her qualifications, or lack thereof, or the fact that 100’s of qualified applicants would be available for half the cost.


You’re absolutely right.


In reality, I suspect there is enough to can her and she would be canned were it not so “political.”


This is all pure BS.


Another reason we voted for Rodger Anderson. You know The Stand Up Man with morals!


“No county resources have been improperly used”. Well I guess that’s business as usual for the county with Bruce and Adam using the resources that we the taxpayers are supporting. First it was Adam and Dee under the apple tree and now it’s Bruce and Cherie. It almost sounds like these two clowns think that the use of county employees for their personal benefit is part of their benefit package. It should be very clear as all of this comes out that hanky panky was probably taking place while on the time clock.

Yes Mr. Gibson what little integrity that you think you have is certainly in question. Everyone that I know is born with integrity and don’t have to learn to have integrity. You have failed the integrity test and it’s something that you can’t learn. You either have it or in your case you don’t have it.

Please do us all a favor and move on, we don’t need your type as leaders. And while you are at it take your little friennd with you.


Now it is clear why this guy is so aloof to his constituents. He has other things on his mind.


Maybe if he wears a plastic shopping bag over his head, the embarrassment won’t be so bad.


R U Kidding me? Gibson is SUCH A POMPOUS FOOL, nothing will embarrass HIM…