Former city grant writer may have helped nonprofit gain funds
By: Brent Begin
Examiner Staff Writer
February 27, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO — A former grant writer in the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice moonlighted at a nonprofit agency that received money from The City — a potential conflict of interest that could lead to fines and perjury charges against the ex-employee.
The full-time city employee also consulted for Vanguard Public Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that disperses funds to other nonprofits focused on fighting racism, sexism and social injustice, according to a report from the City Services Auditor. The employee was not named in the report.
In fiscal year 2008, while the employee was a paid consultant, Vanguard received $70,169 through an agreement with the Juvenile Probation Department. The year before, the nonprofit received $38,487 from The City, according to vendor payment summaries.
The report said it appears the employee violated civil-service laws “by giving Vanguard an unfair advantage in conducting business and obtaining grants from The City.” The employee was paid $10,138 by Vanguard while employed by the Mayor’s Office.
The Controller’s Office is expected to review the grant-award process “to determine whether the individual’s work experience as [an Office of Criminal Justice] grant administrator, and her access to The City’s systems, may have given Vanguard an unfair advantage in doing business in The City,” the report said.
Violations of incompatible activities are punishable by up to $5,000, according to John St. Croix of the San Francisco Ethics Commission. City employees who fail to state their economic activities on a disclosure form could also be subject to perjury charges on the statewide level.
A spokesman for the Mayor’s Office said the Office of Criminal Justice, which recently shifted its grant-writing powers to the Mayor’s Office of Community Investment, was not aware of the employee’s conflict of interest.
“That kind of behavior won’t be tolerated and the grant writer no longer works for The City,” said mayoral press secretary Nathan Ballard. Reasons for the employee’s departure were not provided.
A spokesman for the nonprofit would not comment on the report.
