{"id":40565,"date":"2025-03-26T12:27:40","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T19:27:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=40565"},"modified":"2025-03-26T12:27:41","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T19:27:41","slug":"s-f-is-weak-and-ineffective-at-preventing-conflicts-of-interest-report-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2025\/03\/26\/s-f-is-weak-and-ineffective-at-preventing-conflicts-of-interest-report-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"S.F. is weak and ineffective at preventing conflicts of interest, report finds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cropped-cropped-xueer-PROFILE-PIC-1-scaled-2.jpg 2x\" height=\"80\" width=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/cropped-cropped-xueer-PROFILE-PIC-1-scaled-2.jpg\" alt=\"A person with long dark hair smiling outdoors, wearing a light blue shirt. Trees and sky are in the background.\"> by\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/author\/xueerl\/\">XUEER LU<\/a><\/strong> MARCH 24, 2025 (MissionLocal.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/city-hall.jpg\" alt=\"The dome of San Francisco City Hall against a blue sky ... fentanyl\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San Francisco City Hall. Photo by Kelly Waldron.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/support-our-publication\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/ML-Fundraising-2024-1-930x620.jpg\" alt=\"Comic strip showing a newspaper's various reader engagement methods: in the park, drive-in, print delivery, and data visualization online.\" class=\"wp-image-668615\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-read-mission-local-often\">Read Mission Local often?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Help&nbsp;<strong>grow our newsroom<\/strong>, joining the hundreds of San Franciscans who support us by giving below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/support-our-publication\/\">Donate today!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since January 2020, San Francisco has had eight department head-level employees forced out of office due to allegations of corruption. A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BLA-Performance-Audit-of-COI.03.24.25.pdf\">report<\/a>&nbsp;released today, to the surprise of few, suggests that the city\u2019s systems meant to limit conflicts of interest are lax and ineffective.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BLA-Performance-Audit-of-COI.03.24.25.pdf\">the 178-page report<\/a>, the Budget and Legislative Analyst\u2019s office underscored key concerns with the city\u2019s existing contracting system, and its procedures \u2014&nbsp;or lack thereof \u2014 for addressing conflicts of interest. Among them: A distinct lack of process for reviewing financial disclosure forms, inconsistency across departments in ethics training and failure of city employees to disclose secondary jobs and failure to catch and check them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report, prepared at the request of former Supervisor Dean Preston, is timely: On March 20, the Department of the Status of Women head Kimberly Ellis was placed on leave in the wake of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/sf\/article\/top-san-francisco-official-ousted-20230960.php\"><em>San Francisco Chronicle&nbsp;<\/em>reporting<\/a>&nbsp;revealing that she had an unpermitted side hustle as a consultant and had directed $500,000 to the African American Art &amp; Culture Complex to host a conference.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/mission-local-logo-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Mission Local logo, with blue and orange lines on the shape of the Mission District\" class=\"wp-image-639216\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Want the latest on the Mission and San Francisco? Sign up for our&nbsp;<strong>free daily newsletter<\/strong>&nbsp;below.Sign up<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report\u2019s major findings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>City departments routinely fail to screen panelists for conflicts of interest before seating them on panels that judge&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sf.gov\/information--contracting-basics-suppliers\">bids for contracts<\/a>&nbsp;\u2014 thereby risking a situation wherein panelists have ties to the nonprofits and other groups to which they award contracts. This was the case in 16 of 37 randomly selected contracts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The city does not have an established process to review Form 700s, which are financial disclosure statements that city employees are required to file in order to avoid conflicts of interest during decision-making.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2024\/04\/the-strange-and-terrible-saga-of-sfs-incredible-shrinking-ethics-delinquent-list\/\">Mission Local reported last April<\/a>&nbsp;that some 158 city employees failed to file their Form 700s, according to the Ethics Commission.<br><br>Some 90 percent of required Form 700s are filed under a filing officer within the department, instead of the Ethics Commission. However, all filings are filed electronically through the Ethics Commission\u2019s system and the forms can be viewed online&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/sfethics.org\/disclosures\/city-officer-disclosure\/statement-of-economic-interests-city-officer-disclosure\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In late 2022, some 300 employees of the Department of Public Health were discovered to have undisclosed secondary jobs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The report also shows a lack of consistency in city employees\u2019 ethics training. This caused city employees and officials confusion about their responsibilities under the city\u2019s ethics codes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The report drops as the city has moved to expedite contracting and free up government officials soliciting funds from private interests.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By a 10-1 vote,&nbsp;the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 4 passed an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2025\/01\/so-far-mayor-luries-fentanyl-plan-is-missing-just-one-thing-a-plan\/\">ordinance<\/a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2025\/02\/mayor-luries-fentanyl-ordinance-passes-s-f-board-of-supervisors\/\">increased the mayor\u2019s ability<\/a>&nbsp;to expediently enter into contracts addressing \u201chomelessness, drug abuse, mental health needs, and related crises\u201d by limiting oversight from the Board of Supervisors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ordinance also created a waiver regarding \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2025\/01\/lurie-says-s-f-can-add-beds-to-combat-fentanyl-hospital-workers-unsure\/\">behested payments<\/a>,\u201d enabling Lurie and a handful other members of government to solicit private donations \u2014 setting up potentially problematic scenarios in which city officials are asking for money from wealthy groups or individuals that may have current or future business afoot in San Francisco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Budget and Legislative audit surveyed 47 city departments between July 2019 and June 2022, randomly selecting and reviewing city contacts, and assessing the city\u2019s approach to minimizing conflicts of interest among officials, department staff, and contractors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the three years scrutinized in the audit, a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2021\/11\/web-of-corruption-explore-the-cronyism-lies-and-federal-crimes-at-the-heart-of-san-franciscos-government\/\">series<\/a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2021\/03\/san-francisco-corruption\/\">corrupt episodes<\/a>&nbsp;were uncovered:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2020\/02\/mohammed-nuru-investigation-city-attorney-fires-off-14-subpoenas-chinese-billionaire-developer-zhang-li-and-permit-expediter-walter-wong-targeted\/\">Former Public Workers director<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2020\/11\/mohammed-nuru-recology-confederacy-of-dunces\/\">Mohammed Nuru<\/a>&nbsp;was arrested by the FBI in January 2020 and was in August 2022 federally convicted of honest services wire fraud. In the same year,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2021\/10\/feds-accuse-ex-puc-boss-harlan-kelly-real-estate-broker-and-politico-victor-makras-in-bank-fraud-conspiracy\/\">the feds also arrested and later convicted<\/a>&nbsp;former Public Utilities Commission General Manager&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2020\/11\/puc-boss-harlan-kelly-arested-by-feds-charged-in-bribery-scheme\/\">Harlan Kelly<\/a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-ndca\/pr\/former-san-francisco-puc-chief-sentenced-four-years-prison\">fraud and conspiracy<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2021, engineer&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2021\/08\/rodrigo-santos-admits-to-hiring-ex-dbi-directors-kids-plural-and-other-gems-from-dennis-richards-ongoing-litigation\/\">Rodrigo Santos<\/a>&nbsp;and senior building inspector Bernie Curran were also hit with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2023\/08\/rodrigo-santos-sentenced-to-prison\/\">federal charges on corruption<\/a>&nbsp;and sentenced to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2023\/07\/bernie-curran-disgraced-building-inspector-sentenced-to-a-year-and-a-day\/\">prison<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last August, during Lurie\u2019s mayoral campaign, the then-candidate held a press conference at his headquarters announcing an \u201caggressive\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2024\/08\/see-how-they-run-daniel-lurie-announces-aggressive-anti-corruption-agenda\/\">anti-corruption agenda<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among other suggestions, Lurie said the city should integrate artificial intelligence into the city\u2019s ethics enforcement dashboard, which would ferret out problems within city contracts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mayor\u2019s office has not immediately replied to a request for comment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Supervisor Jackie Fielder\u2019s team said Fielder, who also chairs the Government Audit and Oversight Committee, intends to call a hearing at the committee to go over the report \u2014&nbsp;a typical move after the budget analyst releases any audit. The budget analyst and some of the departments referenced in the report will present before the committee before any next steps are taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark>LATEST NEWS<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2025\/03\/day-14-of-the-16th-st-plazas-cleanup-quiet-except-capp-st-and-p-m-photos\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/16th-SW-325-11-12-1200x900.jpg\" alt=\"Day 14 of the 16th St. plazas cleanup: quiet except Capp St. and p.m. activity\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2025\/03\/day-14-of-the-16th-st-plazas-cleanup-quiet-except-capp-st-and-p-m-photos\/\">Day 14 of the 16th St. plazas cleanup: quiet except Capp St. and p.m. activity<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2025\/03\/s-f-firefighters-put-out-small-blaze-at-home-on-hill-st-in-the-mission\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/IMG_5495-1200x900.jpg\" alt=\"S.F. firefighters put out small blaze at home on Hill St. in the Mission\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2025\/03\/s-f-firefighters-put-out-small-blaze-at-home-on-hill-st-in-the-mission\/\">S.F. firefighters put out small blaze at home on Hill St. in the Mission<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2025\/03\/in-dark-times-sfs-caribbean-culture-festival-presents-art-as-a-beacon\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Batey-Tambo-performs-at-CubaCaribe-2025-photo-by-LexMex-1200x900.jpg\" alt=\"Amid Caribbean crises, S.F.\u2019s CubaCaribe festival presents art as a beacon\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/2025\/03\/in-dark-times-sfs-caribbean-culture-festival-presents-art-as-a-beacon\/\">Amid Caribbean crises, S.F.\u2019s CubaCaribe festival presents art as a beacon<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-support-the-mission-local-team\">Support the Mission Local team<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/newspack-missionlocal.s3.amazonaws.com\/mission\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/dolores2-edit-930x623.jpg\" alt=\"A group of people posing outdoors with a city skyline in the background on a sunny day.\" class=\"wp-image-662510\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We&#8217;re a small,\u00a0<strong>independent, nonprofit newsroom<\/strong>\u00a0that works hard to bring you news you can&#8217;t get elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/author\/xueerl\/\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/author\/xueerl\/\">XUEER LU<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"mailto:xueer@missionlocal.com\">xueer@missionlocal.com<\/a><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/xueer_lu\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Xueer is a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\">California Local News Fellow,<\/a>&nbsp;working on data and covering housing. Xueer is a bilingual multimedia journalist fluent in Chinese and English and is passionate about data, graphics, and innovative ways of storytelling. Xueer graduated from UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism with a Master&#8217;s Degree in May 2023. She also loves cooking, photography, and scuba diving.<a href=\"https:\/\/missionlocal.org\/author\/xueerl\/\">More by Xueer Lu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by\u00a0XUEER LU MARCH 24, 2025 (MissionLocal.org) Read Mission Local often? Help&nbsp;grow our newsroom, joining the hundreds of San Franciscans who support us by giving below. Donate today! Since January 2020, San Francisco has had eight department head-level employees forced out of office due to allegations of corruption. A&nbsp;report&nbsp;released today, to&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2025\/03\/26\/s-f-is-weak-and-ineffective-at-preventing-conflicts-of-interest-report-finds\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40565"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40565"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40566,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40565\/revisions\/40566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}