For information: Michael Canning, Policy and Legislative Affairs Manager (415) 252-3100
November 8, 2024
Ballot measure committee’s contributions to mayoral campaign committee violated campaign contribution limits
The San Francisco Ethics Commission today unanimously approved a settlement levying a $108,179.99 civil penalty against the Mark Farrell for Mayor 2024 Committee, Mayor Mark Farrell for Yes on Prop D Committee, Mark Farrell, and treasurer Roy Herrera for campaign finance violations. The penalty is the largest in the history of the Ethics Commission.
According to the parties’ Stipulation, which the Commission adopted, from April through mid-September 2024, Farrell’s Yes on Prop D Committee (“Ballot Measure Committee”) paid the Farrell for Mayor Committee (“Mayoral Committee”) nearly $100,000 for which the Ballot Measure Committee received no consideration in return. Those payments were, therefore, campaign contributions and exceeded the $500 limit on campaign contributions to candidate committees.
“San Francisco has enacted strict limits on campaign contributions to candidates. Those limits are thwarted when a candidate’s ballot measure committee makes excess contributions to the candidate,” said Theis Finlev, Chair of the Ethics Commission, following the ratification of the settlement.
“This case represents a serious mismanagement of funds by Committees run by Mayor Farrell. This funding-through-reimbursement arrangement allowed Farrell’s Ballot Measure Committee to illegally subsidize the expenses of his Mayoral campaign for six months leading up to a contested election, said Director of Enforcement Olabisi Matthews. “The Commission will continue to prioritize cases that present clear and ongoing harm to the public interest and the integrity of the democratic process.”
As authorized by the City Charter, the resolution of violations through a public stipulated agreement enables Respondents and the Ethics Commission to resolve enforcement matters without the need of a full hearing. The Commission is authorized to assess a monetary penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation or three times the amount which the respondent failed to report properly or unlawfully contributed, expended, gave or received, whichever is greater.
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The San Francisco Ethics Commission was created directly by the City’s voters with the passage of Proposition K in November 1993 and is responsible for the independent and impartial administration and enforcement of laws related to campaign finance, public financing of candidates, governmental ethics, conflicts of interests, and registration and reporting by lobbyists, campaign consultants, permit consultants, and major developers.
Our mission is to practice and promote the highest standards of integrity in government. We achieve that by delivering impactful programs that promote fair, transparent, and accountable governmental decision making for the benefit of all San Franciscans. Public service is a public trust, and our aim is to ensure that San Franciscans can have confidence that the operations of the City and County and the decisions made by its officials and employees are fair, just, and made without any regard to private or personal gain.