Ethics Commission debates revised anti‑corruption ordinance, remands draft to staff after narrow vote

The San Francisco Ethics Commission spent most of its meeting examining a revised 2017 anti‑corruption and accountability ordinance that would tighten rules on solicitations by public officials, create a citizen plaintiff mechanism and change disclosure and enforcement provisions.

Staff summarized changes to a prior draft, saying the most significant edit was moving the so‑called behested‑payment restriction from the city’s campaign finance ordinance into the conflict‑of‑interest code to reduce constitutional vulnerability. The draft preserves narrow exceptions for public fundraising and larger events and adds a private right of action modeled in part on Los Angeles law: a citizen plaintiff would notify the commission, the commission would have 60 days to respond, and if the citizen succeeds the statute allows recovery of 50 percent of assessed penalties plus reasonable costs and attorney fees, the staff memo said.

Why it matters: advocates for stronger limits argued the measure closes gaps that allow pay‑to‑play practices—especially in land‑use and large developments—where one‑on‑one…