San Francisco Ethics Commission finds investigatory files protected, directs outside review of interagency correspondence

The San Francisco Ethics Commission voted Monday to find that investigatory files connected to two recent whistleblower‑related referrals were protected from public disclosure, but it directed an outside reviewer to examine correspondence between the Ethics Commission and the City Controller’s Office to determine whether any non‑privileged documents should be released.

The action came after more than two hours of public comment and legal argument over whether the Commission could or should send the entire adjudication of complaints involving Executive Director John St. Croix to another jurisdiction. Patrick Monette Shaw, the complainant in one case, urged the Commission to transfer the matters in their entirety because of perceived conflicts of interest; Shaw said he believed that the Commission’s reliance on Charter section C3.699‑13 and other exemptions was mistaken. "699‑13 only applies…