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Ethics commission delays final vote on sweeping anti‑corruption ordinance after hours of testimony
Summary
After a broad staff proposal to revive and expand Proposition J drew extensive questions and more than two hours of public comment — especially from nonprofits worried that a ban on 'behested payments' could choke charitable fundraising — the Ethics Commission voted to continue the measure to its next meeting to allow staff to publish and refine the amendments.
The San Francisco Ethics Commission on Aug. 24 paused action on a comprehensive anti‑corruption ordinance that would revive and expand aspects of the city’s old Proposition J, after hours of questioning from commissioners and sustained public comment from nonprofit providers.
Chair Keane framed the proposal as an effort to reinstate protections against “soft corruption” the city lost after Prop J was scaled back in the 2000s. The draft before the commission would broaden prohibitions beyond contractors and consolidate new disclosure and enforcement tools, including a process for debarment recommendations and changes to citizen‑suit provisions. Chair Keane moved to adopt the staff statement with three specific changes he proposed: restore a private right of action in line with Los Angeles law, broaden the ordinance’s reach beyond land‑use and contracts to a wider class of public‑benefit recipients, and add commissioner fundraising restrictions borrowed from Los Angeles.
Staffer Kyle Cundard outlined practical changes the commission has proposed in recent months, saying the draft aims to balance constitutional limits and stronger disclosure: “The citizen…
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