SFist Jim stopped by the swearing-in for San Francisco assessor-recorder (and buzzed-about mayoral possibility?) Phil Ting last night and snapped these pictures for us. Yes, that is a subdued-looking Gavin Newsom, hiding in the stairwell of the Assessor-Recorder's office, a floor away from the prying questions of the media. Gavin made some awkward jokes about the awkwardness of the situation, refused to take the one question shouted out about whether he'd seek reelection (Dan Noyes, was that you?), and fled the scene shortly afterwards. (To be fair, Newsom had a campaign kickoff event in Chinatown to get to, set up by Alex Tourk before the scandal hit and to which media were not allowed).

After Newsom left, Ting moved to a better-lit section of the office -- more pictures (of Phil and his wife Susan's adorable baby Isabella) after the jump!