Northbay Uprising - Information for the liberated zones of the San Pablo Bay

2011-08-02 "Garbage firm's efforts smell funny to Kopp" by Heather Knight, John Coté from "San Francisco Chronicle" newspaper
[http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-08-02/bay-area/29841194_1_criminal-investigation-supervisors-city-services]
Retired Judge Quentin Kopp sent a letter Monday asking District Attorney George Gascón to open a criminal investigation into efforts by Mayor Ed Lee's close friend Rose Pak to get help from the city's garbage hauling company in the drive to persuade Lee to run for a full term.
Officials at Recology acknowledged a senior executive at the company had directed subordinates to help gather signatures for the "Run, Ed, Run" campaign after multiple requests by Pak. Company officials maintain no laws were broken, although Recology policy had been violated.
Kopp asked Gascón to convene a criminal grand jury to probe "corrupt influencing and other felony or misdemeanor misconduct." Kopp said he was sending a similar letter to the U.S. attorney's office in San Francisco requesting a federal criminal investigation.
Kopp, a former city supervisor, has been a vocal supporter of efforts to open Recology's lucrative local garbage collection concession to competitive bidding.
Lee's spokeswoman, Christine Falvey, said the mayor has no involvement in the "Run, Ed, Run" campaign.
"Mayor Lee trusts the D.A. to determine what an appropriate course of action is, if any," she said.


2011-07-29 "SF Mayor Ed Lee's rivals seek probe of his backers; 5 candidates say 'Run, Ed, Run' group violated campaign laws" by John Coté fom "San Francisco Chronicle" newspaper
[http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-07-29/news/29827817_1_face-scrutiny-recology-mayoral-candidate]
The honeymoon is over for San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.
Five rival candidates vying to replace him jointly called Thursday for an investigation into alleged campaign finance violations by Progress for All, a committee pushing for Lee to enter a mayor's race where he would likely become the front-runner.
The unprecedented show of unity by competitors comes as Lee's political supporters and his ties to them - particularly his longtime friend, political power broker Rose Pak - face increased scrutiny as the Aug. 12 deadline for him to enter the race approaches.
Pak has been a primary fundraiser and booster for Progress for All and its "Run, Ed, Run" campaign. On Thursday, the company that recently won a critical vote for the city's $112 million garbage-shipping contract acknowledged Pak had pressed a senior executive to provide workers to help her effort to get Lee to run for a full four-year term.
Two temporary Recology employees, at the encouragement of an unnamed company supervisor, gathered signatures urging Lee to run, while a separate petition was placed in one of the company's workrooms, which 86 employees signed, Recology officials said. Those efforts came after Pak had approached a senior executive on multiple occasions, requesting company help in urging Lee to run.
Against company policy
The campaign work violated Recology policy and the senior executive involved was disciplined after the incident came to light Tuesday, said Sam Singer, spokesman for the company.
Recology maintains no laws were broken, but Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, a mayoral candidate, said Pak's solicitations of a major city contractor on behalf of Progress for All were troubling.
"These specific revelations show that Progress for All has been engaged in an unethical and possibly illegal coordinated shakedown," Chiu said.
Some city officials have considered opening up Recology's separate and lucrative garbage collection contract to competitive bidding, and the city's ban on contractors giving to campaigns would prohibit both the mayor and members of the Board of Supervisors from receiving donations from top Recology executives.
When asked about the incident, Pak, a central figure at the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, initially said she didn't know what Recology was. She then denied coordinating with the mayor or discussing contracts or city business with Recology or any of a number of companies she has approached for help in the "Run, Ed, Run" effort.
"I never discussed anything," Pak said. "I didn't even know they had a contract" up for approval.
No involvement
Lee's spokeswoman, Christine Falvey, said the mayor has had "absolutely no involvement" with Progress for All and has not discussed Recology with Pak, who is a longtime friend he dines with regularly.
"They did not discuss the Recology contract or the timing of anything," Falvey said.
After repeatedly soliciting the company's help, Pak provided "Run, Ed, Run" signs and petitions to a senior Recology executive in June. The two temporary employees later picked up additional petitions at the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Singer said. He declined to name the executive, saying it was a confidential personnel matter.
The two employees gathered signatures on their own time and were not paid for that, Singer said. The two workers handed in 60 signatures last month to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Recology officials said. The employees collected 57 more this month, but neither those, nor 86 signatures gathered in the workroom, were turned in.
"We want to bring our own error to light," Michael Sangiacomo, Recology's chief executive officer, said in a statement. "It's important our employees and the city know that we are nonpartisan in candidate races in San Francisco."
Legality questioned
Recology officials acknowledged the activity even as local Democratic Party Chairman Aaron Peskin filed a letter Thursday with the city's Ethics Commission, requesting a ruling on whether Progress for All "has been acting on behalf of Mayor Lee or at his urging," in violation of city election law.
Progress for All, officially formed as a group unaffiliated with any candidate, can receive unlimited amounts of money from donors, while individual candidates are barred from accepting money from corporations, unions, city contractors or any amount over $500.
"We have a campaign committee that is operating illegally in broad daylight," Peskin said by phone. "If this continues, it threatens to corrupt the entire election process."
Five mayoral candidates - Chiu, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, state Sen. Leland Yee, former Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier and venture capitalist Joanna Rees - quickly seized on Peskin's letter, calling the allegations "serious."
"As San Franciscans, we all strongly believe that this election must be contested on a level playing field," they said in a joint statement. "Throughout this campaign, the five of us have played by the rules and complied with all relevant campaign finance laws and regulations. We urge the commission to pursue these allegations and ensure that Progress for All and Run, Ed, Run are held to the same standard."
Herrera went further, saying: "The complaint letter makes clear that laws are being broken - it's simply unclear which laws."
Progress for All is "either an independent expenditure committee or a candidate committee," Herrera said. "But under the law, it can't exist as neither."
Stephen Kaufman, an attorney for Progress for All, acknowledged the situation was unique, given that Lee has not announced as a candidate, but maintains the committee is fully in compliance with the law.
"The facts are this: Ed Lee is not a candidate. He is not coordinating any activities with Progress for All," Kaufman said.
Enrique Pearce, a political consultant who has been running Progress for All's "Run, Ed, Run" campaign, said Peskin was "playing the part of a political hatchet man who doesn't know what he's talking about."
Chiu, though, said the call for an inquiry was only the first step in a harder look at Lee's supporters.
"Now the real questions begin," he said.