WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) Second gentleman Doug Emhoff acknowledged Saturday that he had an extramarital affair years ago that contributed to the breakup of his first marriage.

During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions, Emhoff said in a statement, first reported by CNN . I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side.

He issued the statement after the Daily Mail reported on the matter.

The affair was known to the team that vetted Vice President Kamala Harris before President Joe Biden picked her to be his running mate in 2020 , according to a person familiar with the events who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive situation. Harris knew about the affair before she married Emhoff, the person said.