To: Members of the Ethics Commission
From: LeeAnn Pelham, Executive Director
Subject: Agenda Item 8 – Executive Director Report for April 2022
Summary and Action Requested
This report provides various programmatic and operational highlights since the last Executive Director’s
Report. No action is required by the Commission, as this item is for informational purposes only.
News and Updates
New Commissioner Appointed
We are happy to welcome Argemira Flórez Feng as the newest member of the Ethics Commission. Commissioner Flórez Feng was appointed by the City Assessor-Recorder following the conclusion of Daina Chiu’s full term of service. She was sworn in on March 21, 2022 to a six-year term expiring February 1, 2028. Commissioner Flórez Feng is a litigation attorney with Willkie Farr & Gallagher in San Francisco, where she focuses on complex commercial litigation and represents clients across the financial and technology sectors. She is a certified mediator with the New York Peace Institute and has mediated cases with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, New York Civil Court, and Harlem Small Claims Court. She previously served as a legal intern for the US Attorney’s Office – Civil Division and was a judicial intern for the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She is a graduate of Columbia Law School and Franklin and Marshall College, and is admitted to the Bar in California and New York.
2022 Statement of Economic Interest Filings
Annual economic interest filings by City officials and designated employees were due by Friday, April 1, 2022. These Form 700 filings cover the period January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. Forms certifying completion of Annual Ethics and Sunshine Ordinance training were also required to be filed by that date by City officials who are elected officials, department heads, and board and commissioners. Roughly 500 elected officials, board and commission members, and department heads were required to file their Form 700 with the Ethics Commission. Over 89 percent of these filers — including 100 percent of City elective officers currently in office with an April 1 filing deadline — had submitted their Form 700 filings by the April 1 deadline as required. Over 77 percent of officials who also had an annual Ethics and Sunshine Ordinance training requirement filed their certifications by the April 1 deadline.
In addition, over 4,730 City employees who file a Form 700 in their department because their position is designated in their department’s section of the Conflict of Interest Code were also required to file electronically beginning this year using the Ethics Commission’s online filing system. Notably, of these Code-designated employees, 92 percent filed their forms by April 1 deadline.
Staff this week are beginning to notify City Commissioners and Board Members who appeared to have unfulfilled annual filing requirement as of April 1 to inform them of their pending filing obligations and resulting disqualification until such time that their filings are complete. Staff are also in the process of providing additional guidance to departmental filing officers regarding post-deadline requirements related to designated employees who have not filed their Form 700 statements by April 1.
To help heighten public awareness of the Form 700 requirements and financial disclosure filings, Staff are updating our home page to direct the public where they can access the latest filings. All electronically filed annual Form 700 statements and training declarations are publicly available through the Ethics Commission’s SEI Disclosures web page.
Policy Project: Government Ethics and Conflict of Interest Review
As also reported at last month’s meeting in the March Policy report on proposed gift and ethics reforms, the meet and confer process on the Commission’s proposed ballot measure has not yet been concluded. Staff have continued to be in communication with Labor Negotiator colleagues at the Department of Human Resources in an effort to move the meet and confer process forward. A closed session update with DHR Labor Negotiators has been scheduled at the April 8th meeting to enable the Commission to hear an update on the meet and confer process and review outstanding issues and next steps in the process.
Staff News
This week we are happy to welcome Ashley Mockett to the Commission staff as our newest Senior Investigator/Legal Analyst, effective April 4th. Ashley brings a unique blend of auditing, analytical, and business acumen to her role in the Enforcement Division. Ashely earned both her Master of Business Administration and her BA in English Literature from Mills College in Oakland. For the past four and a half years she has conducted complex audits and examined funding practices of state programs with the California State Auditor’s Office. Prior to her work in Sacramento, she served as an instructor with the San Francisco Institute of Esthetics and Cosmetology, co-founded a small business and a business consulting group, and was a volunteer Team Statistician for a local youth basketball organization.
Training and Outreach Job Opportunities
All four positions on our new Ethics@Work outreach and training team are now in active recruitment. For all positions, applications will be accepted through Friday, April 22. This new team will develop practical information and tools and conduct training, raise awareness, and help improve compliance with government ethics laws among City officials, employees, contractors and other key stakeholders.
- Training and Outreach Manager
- Training and Outreach Specialists (two positions will be filled)
- Training Design Specialist
Candidates with diverse backgrounds who are eager to promote accountability and trust in public service by applying their prior experience in stakeholder outreach, training, digital content creation, graphics, UXUI, instructional design, and/or e-learning are encouraged to apply. Detailed information about these positions and how to apply can also be accessed through our Ethics Commission jobs page.
Revenues Report
The table below reflects revenues received by the Commission for Fiscal Year 2022 as of April 1, 2022.
| Account Description | FY21-22 Original Budget | FY21-22 Actuals as of 4/1/2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Other General Government | $2,450 | $500 |
| Campaign Disclosure Fines | $50,000 | $14,956 |
| Lobby Fines | $2,000 | $6,550 |
| Campaign Consultant Fines | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Economic Interest Fines | $1,250 | $170 |
| Other Ethics Fines | $7,500 | $34,004 |
| Lobbyist Registration Fee | $85,000 | $120,000 |
| Campaign Consultant Registration Fee | $7,000 | $9,350 |
| Total | $157,200 | $188,530 |
I look forward to answering any questions you may have at the upcoming Commission meeting.