Supervisor Stefani proposes no graft act

As City Hall continues to come to grips with a still-expanding scandal over corruption in city contracts (see “DPW boss Mohammed Nuru finally swept to the curb, but not by Mayor Breed,” Reynolds Rap, Marina Times, February 2020, and “Friends with Community Benefits,” Reynolds Rap, Marina Times, July 2020), District 2 Supervisor Catherine Stefani introduced the No GRAFT Act on July 21. The legislation — GRAFT refers to Government Rackets, Abuses or Fraudulent Transactions — would, according to Stefani, “close several loopholes in the city’s contracting process that allowed for abuse, and bring our contracting procedures in line with nationally recognized best practices.”

Mohammed Nuru, the former head of the Department of Public Works, was arrested over allegedly being involved in bribery in connection with vendor space at San Francisco’s airport. Several others have also been arrested in the ongoing corruption investigation.

“San Franciscans should not have to wonder whether their taxes are being used for corrupt purposes,” Stefani tweeted. “As elected officials, our primary responsibility is to be careful stewards of public resources and public trust.”

District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney has also announced his intention to introduce anticorruption legislation.

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