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Supervisors direct clerk to seek outside special investigator amid corruption probe
Summary
The SF Board’s Government Audit & Oversight Committee directed the Clerk to solicit proposals from prequalified forensic/investigative firms to support board oversight of city contracting and alleged misconduct. Sponsor Supervisor Matt Haney said the effort will complement federal, city attorney and controller probes.
The Government Audit & Oversight Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on March 4 directed the Clerk of the Board to begin soliciting proposals for third‑party special investigative services to support oversight of recent corruption allegations.
Supervisor Matt Haney, the motion’s sponsor, told the committee the city is facing serious allegations and that "this is not a time for business as usual," arguing the board should use third‑party investigators to help restore public trust and to pursue leads the controller, city attorney and federal investigators may not cover.
Haney said the procurement would rely on the controller’s prequalified list of firms for forensic auditing and investigative services and cited Administrative Code section 21.4 as a mechanism to use prequalified pools rather than starting a longer new solicitation.
Supervisor Aaron Peskin, while supporting outside assistance, pressed for clarity on the scope of work and stressed the board should avoid duplicating ongoing civil and criminal inquiries. Clerk Angela Calvillo described a proposed process: the Clerk’s office and member offices would draft a scope, send letters of intent to two or three top prequalified firms, convene an informal panel to evaluate proposals and bring finalists back to the committee or full board.
Ben Rosenfield, the city controller, said his office was finalizing a refreshed pool of prequalified firms and expected certification of that pool “likely in March,” possibly slipping into April, after which the Clerk could solicit proposals.
Public commenters including Eileen Bokin of the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods voiced support for independent review; other speakers urged fairness and attention to racial equity as the investigation proceeds.
Supervisor Haney moved the amendments and advanced the motion as amended; the committee took the action forward for subsequent scope work and public hearings.
Next steps: the Clerk’s office will work with member offices to draft a scope of work, use the controller’s prequalified list once certified to solicit proposals, and return recommendations to the committee or full board for approval.
