Ethics Commission reports progress on audit recommendations, hires new investigators and plans training program

At its Nov. 18 meeting the San Francisco Ethics Commission reviewed a first‑quarter status report on implementation of recommendations from the Budget and Legislative Analyst’s August 2020 performance audit. Staff said progress has been steady and most recommendations are in progress or complete; one recommendation (a formal training program for the audit division) remains in planning.

Director Pelham said the office has hired new audit staff and filled a vacancy that had constrained progress. The commission is recruiting a Director of Enforcement, two senior investigators and a program performance analyst and has authorization for eight new positions this fiscal year to support an "ethics at work" outreach and training program intended to reach thousands of city employees and officials.

Pelham described targets for audits and reviews: staff plan to implement the Form 700 post‑filing review process starting in January 2022 and aim to complete specified audits (including lobbyist audits) by June 30, 2022. The office is developing a case‑management system and expects additional enforcement capacity through SARP and fixed‑penalty processes.

Pelham also announced that the Ethics Commission’s public‑facing offices will reopen on Monday under an updated COVID‑19 prevention plan and that three new staff members — Cesar Delgado (auditor), BC Matthews (senior investigator/legal analyst) and Corey O’Donna (senior investigator) — have joined the team.

Commissioners asked for more detail about which departments would be prioritized for the "ethics at work" program and sought reassurance that audit and enforcement timelines will be met given concurrent election and public‑integrity demands. Staff said they will provide a fuller briefing next month and publish quarterly updates to keep the public informed.