Farrell has been dogged for months by accusations that he has used an independent political action committee as a slush fund for his mayoral bid
In the waning hours of his mayoral campaign, former interim San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell agreed Monday to pay a six-figure fine to the Ethics Commission to settle allegations he skirted campaign finance laws.
In a statement released on Monday, Farrell chalked it up to an accounting error and bad legal advice. The settlement describes Farrell’s committee in support of Proposition D as “covering more than its fair share of expenses,” thereby giving him an “unfair leg-up in an competitive election by opening an additional channel of financial support that undermines the existing contribution limit that applies to all candidates in the race.”
Farrell’s mayoral campaign must adhere to The City’s $500 limits on individual contributions, while the ballot measure committee has no such limitation. Farrell’s Prop. D committee and his mayoral committee shared a campaign manager, Jade Tu, and a campaign consultant, Margaux Kelly. Kelly, according to her LinkedIn profile, was until January chief community officer at TogetherSF, an organization closely affiliated with TogetherSF Action, the sponsor of Prop. D. For much of 2023, Tu’s profile shows she was also chief of staff at TogetherSF.
But Ethics Commission investigators found that “no such tracking was done,” according to the proposed settlement. Investigators also poured over emails and campaign materials that showed Farrell promoting contributions to his “PAC,” the Prop. D ballot measure committee, as “the best way to help me directly,” as “the contributions are unlimited.”
The settlement states that “in one case, in an email chain titled ‘Mayor’s race: personal favor,’ a donor states that he ‘remember that you have a PAC,’ and asks which entity can take a $5,000 check. Staff directed him to Respondent Ballot Measure Committee.” The remaining six counts of illegal contributions were fined at a 1-to-1 match with the amount of the contribution in question.
“I am calling for the Ethics Commission to establish clear guidance in this area because candidates the public deserves certainty and transparency,” Farrell said. “As Mayor, I will fix these problems by demanding clearer rules that strengthen the integrity of our election process.”
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