For information: Michael Canning, Policy and Legislative Affairs Manager (415) 252-3100
At its regular monthly meeting on Friday December 12, 2025, the San Francisco Ethics Commission unanimously approved a Stipulation that levied a total of $1,000 in penalties against Sophia Andary, Commissioner on the Commission of the Status of Women (“COSW”) for accepting payment in the amount of $1,000 from Ignite National, a prohibited source in violation of San Francisco Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code (‘SF C&GCC”) Section 3.234(a)(3) and SF C&GCC Section 3.1-101. In the stipulation, Commissioner Andary took responsibility for the violations.
As authorized by the City Charter, the resolution of violations through a stipulated agreement enables Respondents and the Ethics Commission to resolve enforcement matters without the need of a lengthier and costlier process involving a hearing on the merits. The Commission is authorized to assess a monetary penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation or three times the amount that was unlawfully received.
As detailed in the Stipulation, on April 19, 2024, Commissioner Andary received a prohibited honorarium of $1,000 from the non-profit Ignite National (“Ignite”) after presenting a workshop at an event titled “Shift Happens” hosted by Ignite. Within the prior twelve months of receiving the honorarium from Ignite, Respondent, in her role as Vice President of the COSW, had voted to approve a grant agreement involving Ignite. Therefore, Commissioner Andary violated City ethics laws prohibiting the acceptance of compensation and honorarium from a prohibited source. After being contacted by investigators, Commissioner Andary, who has no history of ethics violations with the Ethics Commission, acknowledged and took full responsibility for her actions.
The ethics laws at issue in this case help to ensure that public office is not used for, nor appears to be used for, personal gain or unfair advantage. Violations of these laws can compromise the public’s trust in the integrity of City government. In particular, City and County contracts should be, and should appear to be, awarded on a fair and impartial basis. If City officers receive income from a restricted source, it creates potential for, and the appearance of, favoritism or preferential treatment by the City and improper awarding of public contracts. Here, the violations in this matter did not constitute a financial conflict of interest under the Conflict-of-Interests Code and there was no indication that Commissioner Andary’s decision to award the grants were in any way connected to the payment she received. Nevertheless, receipt of the payment constituted violations of Section 3.234(a)(3) and Section 3.1-101, which exist to prevent the potential harm to the public’s trust in the fairness and impartiality of City and County governmental decisions.
Of note, the Commissioners expressed that the recommended penalty amount could have been higher to include full disgorgement plus an additional penalty, but all Commissioners present ultimately voted to fine Commissioner Andary a total of $1,000 based on the mitigating factors as described in the Stipulation. Commissioner Andary provided Public Comment in connection with this Stipulation.
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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.