San Francisco government is known for nothing if not its vigorous public hearings, a process in which the comments and input of citizens are heartily solicited — at times to the chagrin of some people. When issues provoke a hearing in The City, there are clear protocols for openness, public notice and the like. Read More
Many people working in the shadows of City Hall to land government contracts, obtain permits and sway decision-makers could soon be forced into the public eye.
Permit expeditors and attorneys doing routine business with city departments can operate with little public scrutiny under The City’s existing regulations, but City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Board of Supervisors President David Chiu announced a proposal Tuesday to expose more of the inner workings of City Hall.
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Rose Pak, a polarizing Chinatown power figure, violated campaign finance laws when she helped pay for Mayor Ed Lee’s recent trip to China, complaints filed with state and local ethics watchdogs allege. Read More
Opponents believed several things stunk about San Francisco’s deal to haul its waste to Yuba County once San Francisco’s current landfill disposal contract expires in 2015. So The City did the right thing in canceling the contract and airing out the details to make sure everything is aboveground about the plan to bury our garbage at a new location. Read More
The controversy that erupted last summer over political spending encouraging Ed Lee to run for mayor has prompted the San Francisco Ethics Commission to create a new campaign finance category applicable to such groups. Read More
More than a year ago, the Ethics Commission recommended Mayor Ed Lee consider removing the head of the Library Commission for behavior that was deemed inappropriate conduct for a public official.
But Lee took no action – Jewelle Gomez remains the Library Commission chair – and ethics commissioners are now looking for answers. Read More
Increasingly detailed perjury claims against Mayor Ed Lee will be highlighted in a much-anticipated Board of Supervisors hearing to determine if suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi should be permanently removed from elected office. Read More
By upholding a portion of Mayor Ed Lee’s official misconduct charges against suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi on Thursday, the Ethics Commission essentially told the Board of Supervisors he should be removed for good. Read More
Mayor Ed Lee was correct in suspending Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi for bruising his wife’s arm during a spat at the couple’s home, The City’s Ethics Commission ruled Thursday in a complex decision that ended with attorneys for both the mayor and the sheriff claiming their own versions of victory. Read More
It is irrelevant whether or not Mayor Ed Lee lied during his sworn testimony in the official misconduct proceedings against suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, The City’s Ethics Commission effectively ruled on Thursday night. Read More
