Ethics Commission approves $400 administrative fines for three officials who missed filings or trainings

The San Francisco Ethics Commission unanimously approved three separate stipulated resolutions on Feb. 13 imposing $400 penalties each for failures to file required disclosures or complete mandatory trainings.

Eric Willett, a senior investigator, said Franco Finn (a member of the Film Commission) failed to complete annual ethics and Sunshine Ordinance training and then participated in two Film Commission meetings while disqualified; Finn filed his outstanding documents within the streamlined administrative resolution program and staff recommended two counts at $200 each for a total of $400. The commission voted 4–0 to approve the stipulation.

Willett described similar cases for Michael Meraviglia, Manager 6 at the Public Utilities Commission, and for Renyu Zheng, who both failed to file Form 700 statements of economic interest and to complete required annual ethics training in the 2025 cycle. Each respondent engaged with the streamlined program, filed outstanding materials and completed required trainings within the 30-day response period; staff recommended two counts at $200 apiece for each matter, and the commission approved each stipulation 4–0.

Commissioners asked staff about notification procedures, the new grace period instituted in the 2025 filing cycle (21 calendar days in that cycle) and the NetFile dashboard used to track outstanding filings. Enforcement staff said reminder emails are initiated by the Engagement and Compliance Division and that the enforcement division contacts respondents individually when staff outreach is required.

All three stipulations were adopted by roll-call vote during the meeting and will be included in the commission’s public file.