As part of the Ethics Commission’s enforcement hearing process, a finding of probable cause must be made before a case can proceed to a public hearing before the Ethics Commission. The hearing process begins when the Director of Enforcement delivers a probable cause report to the Executive Director and the respondent. The respondent may submit a written response. Any party may request a probable cause conference with the Executive Director. After reviewing the probable cause report and any response or rebuttal and any new information provided at a conference, the Executive Director will prepare a written probable cause determination. This determination does not become final until it is ratified by the Ethics Commission. Once a probable cause determination has been ratified by the Commission, the Executive Director publishes the determination on this page. The probable cause report and any repsonses and rebuttals remain confidential.
Below is a list of matters in which the Commission has a made a probable cause determination. These cases may have been subsequently resolved through stipulation or a full hearing on the merits. If so, the case will be listed on the Penalties Issued page.
Notice of all hearings on the merits will be issued to all parties at least 30 calendar days prior to the commencement of such hearing. All hearings on the merits will be open to the public.
| Finding of Probable Cause Issue Date | Case |
|---|---|
| November 6, 2025 | In the Matter of Sheryl Davis, SFEC Case No. 25-838 |
| July 1, 2025 | In the Matter of Charlie Chiem, SFEC Case No. 24-787 |
| March 5, 2025 | In the Matter of William Walker, SFEC Case No. 23-507 |
| January 5, 2023 | In the Matter of Progress San Francisco, Vince Courtney, Jr., and Shawnda Deane SFEC Case 2021-025 |
| December 27, 2022 | In the Matter of Victor Makras, SFEC Case No. 2021-001 |
| December 26, 2022 | In the Matter of Paul Allen Taylor, SFEC Case 1920-031 |