In a voice shaking with emotion, mayoral candidate Adam Giambrone Tuesday night admitted he had "intimate relations" with other women throughout most of last year.

Giambrone, a city councillor and Toronto Transit Commission chair, made the confession in an exclusive telephone interview with the Toronto Star. He read a prepared statement in which he apologized profusely to everyone in his life, including Sarah McQuarrie, his live-in partner of several years.

"I have no excuse for my failure to disclose my relationships with other women," he said. "To have misled those around me in this fashion is the worst mistake of my life."

He pledged that in the days ahead he will "do everything possible to live by the lessons learned in this scarring experience."

The Star reported Tuesday Giambrone, 32, suggested in a Dec. 27 text message to university student Kristen Lucas, 20, that McQuarrie was in his life for "political" reasons. Lucas, who produced copies of extensive texting with Giambrone, said they had an intimate relationship that began when she was 19 and included sex on a couch in his City Hall office.

When asked questions about Lucas Monday, Giambrone sent a statement to the Star that evening, admitting "an inappropriate relationship with a young woman," but insisting the relationship consisted of "text messages and conversations in public places only."

Tuesday night he apologized to the Star.

"I misled you and I am sorry I have no excuse," Giambrone said, referring to his statement to the newspaper the night before.

Then, he read the new statement.

His voice was halting and he spoke in a subdued and sombre tone.

He declined to answer questions about his political future.

Before Tuesday night's confession of multiple affairs, his campaign chair John Laschinger said Giambrone was involved in consultations throughout the day, adding: "At this point, our intention is full-steam ahead."

Laschinger, a veteran political manager, said it was "a painful day for Adam," but claimed Giambrone had been "fully frank and transparent since the story hit. People are proud that he took responsibility for his actions."

With media camped out at City Hall, Giambrone went to ground Tuesday. He spent the day at home talking to family friends and advisers, missing a Toronto and East York community council meeting and unreachable to the media.

In his Tuesday evening statement to the Star, Giambrone said: "The most painful lessons in life come from the mistakes you make yourself and then inflict on those around you.

"In an effort to bring this chapter to a close, let me say I did have intimate relationships for a period that lasted throughout most of last year with women other than my partner," he continued.

"I apologize to them for the hurt I have caused. I regret deeply not having made this full disclosure earlier, to Sarah, my partner, and to my family, my friends and my supporters as well."

Added Giambrone: "I have broken my own moral code and offended the values I was raised with by my parents and my grandparents; those I have always tried to live by."

Throughout the day Tuesday, City Hall was abuzz with the emerging scandal.

Councillor Brian Ashton called for Giambrone to resign his chairmanship of the TTC, which has been beset by bad publicity.

"The TTC is under serious assault around issues of customer relations and performance. The union is now fragmented from the management.

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"I think his moral authority has been totally debased and undermined," said Ashton. "I think mentally he's going to be distracted by both his mayoralty bid and this sex scandal. His ability to come to terms with the TTC issues is tremendously weakened."

Councillor Joe Mihevc reacted to Tuesday's Star report with "shock, shock."

"I just read it an hour ago," said Mihevc. "Pain – that's all I can say."

Lucas told the Star Giambrone disclosed City Hall secrets to her, adding she'd known for "a long, long time" about the TTC fare hike, announced last November for Jan. 1. She also said he shared negative views about city councillors, although Mayor David Miller "was like a god to Adam."

Councillor Paula Fletcher called text messages that surfaced "disturbing."

Said Fletcher: "A lot of women today have told me they are very concerned about what's in the text messages,"

In one message, Giambrone tells Lucas, "I still think of you when I need ... um ... stimulation."

Another said: "I like you because you're smart and interesting. You're also good-looking naked."

According to Lucas, Giambrone told her he didn't have a girlfriend and lived with his brother. He allegedly said he couldn't invite her to his apartment because his elderly parents lived nearby and dropped in unexpectedly.

Lucas claimed they last had sex at her home on Jan. 2 of this year, after Giambrone finished a campaign event on the Danforth with McQuarrie.

Frequent Giambrone critic councillor Rob Ford, who has come under fire for his own public indiscretions, said: "One, you shouldn't use your city hall office as a place to have sex. But the issue is his private life ... Do I think it's right? No. But that's my personal opinion."

Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone, Giambrone's rival for the mayor's chair from the left-wing faction of council, would say only that he is "surprised" by the damaging allegations.

With files from David Rider, Robyn Doolittle, Paul Moloney and Tess Kalinowski