U.S.

Missouri Governor Admits To Extramarital Affair Before He Took Office

Gov. Eric Greitens' admission came after a St. Louis TV station reported he'd blackmailed a woman he was having an affair with.

Missouri Governor Admits To Extramarital Affair Before He Took Office
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Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens admitted to previously being "unfaithful" in his marriage Wednesday night.

He was responding to a news report from a St. Louis TV station that was released after Greitens gave his State of the State address.

The station obtained a recording of a woman telling her then-husband she was having a sexual relationship with Greitens in 2015. The woman's now-ex-husband reportedly told KMOV that Greitens took a photo of her to use as "blackmail." KMOV reporters didn't speak to the woman on the record; her name wasn't released.

Greitens' attorney denied there was any blackmail.

In a statement, Greitens and his wife, Sheena, said: "This was a deeply personal mistake. Eric took responsibility, and we dealt with this together honestly and privately."

A first-time candidate, Greitens was elected governor in 2016. His statement Wednesday didn't say if he's considering resigning from office.