November 13, 2026
For information: Michael Canning, Policy and Legislative Affairs Manager (415) 252-3100
At its regular monthly meeting on Friday, November 13, 2026, the San Francisco Ethics Commission unanimously approved a stipulated agreement imposing a total of $200 in penalties against Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (“FAMSF”) Board of Trustees Member Carl Pascarella for violations of City ethics laws.
As authorized by the City Charter, a stipulated agreement allows Respondents and the Ethics Commission to resolve enforcement matters without the need for a lengthier and more costly 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 previously unreported.
Violations of Ethics Laws
In the Matter of Carl Pascarella – The Commission unanimously approved a stipulated agreement fining Carl Pascarella, a member of the FAMSF Board of Trustees, $200 for failing to complete an annual Sunshine Ordinance training requirement, in violation of San Francisco Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code (“SF C&GC Code”) section 3.1-102(a). The stipulated agreement also resolves violations of SF C&GC Code section 3.1-102.5(c) based on his participation in and taking action on matters appearing on FAMSF Board of Trustees meeting agenda while disqualified from doing so.
As detailed in the Stipulation, Trustee Pascarella failed to complete the required annual Sunshine Ordinance training requirement. As a result, Trustee Pascarella was disqualified from participating in and voting on matters appearing on FAMSF Board of Trustees meeting agendas during the period in which his training requirement remained unfulfilled. Despite his disqualification, Trustee Pascarella participated in matters before the FAMSF Board of Trustees at one meeting. His participation and action at that meeting therefore violated City ethics laws.
After being contacted by investigators, Trustee Pascarella acknowledged the violation and took full responsibility for his mistake. He subsequently completed the required training and fulfilled the related filing requirement. Trustee Pascarella has no prior history of ethics violations with the Ethics Commission.
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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.