For information: Michael Canning, Policy and Legislative Affairs Manager (415) 252-3100
At its regular monthly meeting on Friday, April 11, 2025, the San Francisco Ethics Commission approved a settlement agreement that levied a total of $2,400 in penalties against a respondent for campaign finance violations.
In the Matter of Open the Great Highway – The Commission unanimously approved $2,400 in penalties through a stipulated agreement with community group Open the Great Highway for one count of violating City and State campaign finance laws.
The law requires multi-purpose organizations, such as community groups, to register as a political committee under several circumstances, including when they accept payments from donors with an understanding that the money will be used for making political expenditures. Registering and reporting as a political committee gives the public important information about individuals and organizations spending money to influence elections.
The violations occurred when the Open the Great Highway solicited political contributions from its members to oppose Proposition K on the November 5, 2024 General Election ballot and subsequently made political expenditures for the same purposes while failing to timely register and report as a political committee. Because Open the Great Highway did not timely comply with registration and reporting requirements that apply to political committees, the public was deprived of transparency into when and how money is raised and spent to influence the outcome of political contests in the City. Campaign finance disclosure laws exist to ensure that this transparency exists.
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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.