Pull to refresh
Logo
What Changed
Following Why Sign Up
The Office SF Built to Stop the Next Mohammed Nuru Just Got Smaller

The Office SF Built to Stop the Next Mohammed Nuru Just Got Smaller

Rule Changes San Francisco, CA local

Lurie's budget cuts shrink the Ethics Commission expanded after the Public Works scandal — and the deficits aren't letting up.

4 days ago: Lurie Fires Most of Innovation Office Staff

Overview

Updated 2 days ago

Six years after FBI agents arrested Public Works chief Mohammed Nuru, the Ethics Commission San Francisco expanded to prevent another scandal is smaller. The city budget cut its operating funds by 12.8%, to about $6.14 million. Over two budget cycles, the city eliminated two of the commission's three senior compliance posts, the Standard reported.

The cuts are law: Mayor Daniel Lurie signed the budget at the end of July. He is asking voters to pass three charter reforms to 'end corrupt contracting,' while Nuru has served his time and is back. The administration also fired most of the innovation office staff on Nov. 6, despite a $7 million Bloomberg grant.

Why it matters

San Franciscans have fewer watchdogs checking officials' financial disclosures for conflicts of interest, just as the city pushes new anti-corruption rules.

Last Monday's email for San Francisco, CA

Sent Nov 9. It carried:

Get next Monday's: one short email a week. Free. Unsubscribe in one click.

Questions about this story

Free account needed to ask — your question is kept and asked for you right after sign-up. Answers are public.

No questions yet — be the first to ask.

Key Indicators

12.8%
Ethics Commission budget cut
Final FY27 operating budget reduced from a $7.0 million baseline to about $6.14 million.
2 of 3
Senior compliance posts cut
Two of the commission's three senior compliance positions were eliminated over two budget cycles.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Sign up to generate historical perspectives on this story.

Log in Sign Up

People Involved

Mohammed Nuru
Mohammed Nuru
Former Director, SF Department of Public Works (2011–2020)
Reported back in San Francisco after serving prison time
 Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie
47th Mayor of San Francisco (2025–present)
Incumbent mayor; signed budget with Ethics Commission cuts and fired most of innovation office staff
 London Breed
London Breed
Former Mayor of San Francisco (2018–2025)
Left office January 2025
 Aaron Peskin
Aaron Peskin
Former SF Supervisor, District 3
Term-limited, out of office since January 2025

Organizations Involved

SF Department of Public Works
SF Department of Public Works
City Department
At center of corruption scandal and current budget cuts

At center of the 2020 corruption scandal that reshaped city ethics oversight
SF Standard
SF Standard
News Organization
Reporting on the story

Digital news outlet covering SF politics, accountability, and the city's major institutions.
SF Ethics Commission
SF Ethics Commission
City Ethics Agency
Operating under a 12.8% budget cut, with two of three senior compliance posts gone

Independent city agency that polices officials' financial disclosures and enforces ethics rules.

Timeline

January 2020 November 2026

13 events Latest: 4 days ago Showing 8 of 13
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Lurie Fires Most of Innovation Office Staff

    Latest Policy

    The administration fires most of the staff of the city's innovation office, which had received a $7 million Bloomberg grant to expand. The office had already lost its director and overseeing chief.

  2. SF Standard Reports Cuts to Ethics Commission

    News

    Power Play newsletter reports the Ethics Commission lost two of its three senior compliance positions over two budget cycles.

  3. Lurie Strikes Union Deal to Avoid Layoffs

    Policy

    Agreement with 10 unions covering 24,000 city workers guarantees no layoffs through June 2029 in exchange for a 12% wage increase between 2027 and 2031.

  4. Lurie Signs $16.9 Billion Budget

    Policy

    The mayor signs the budget into law at the end of July, closing a $642 million two-year deficit. The Ethics Commission absorbs a 12.8% cut.

  5. Ethics Commission Details Budget Cuts

    Policy

    The commission's executive director reports the mayor proposed a 10.1% cut, then the Board's analyst added more, bringing the total to about $6.14 million, or 12.8%.

  6. Board Committee Approves Ethics Commission Cuts

    Policy

    The Budget and Appropriations Committee votes to approve the budget with the Ethics Commission cut, including additional reductions recommended by the city's Budget and Legislative Analyst.

  7. Lurie Takes Office, Begins Budget Review

    Policy

    New mayor launches review of city spending to address large deficits.

  8. Daniel Lurie Elected Mayor

    Election

    Lurie defeats incumbent London Breed on a reform platform.

  9. Ethics Commission Staffing Peaks at 31

    Policy

    The commission's workforce reaches 31, according to a June 2026 report from Executive Director Patrick Ford cited by Mission Local.

  10. Nuru Sentenced to 7 Years

    Legal

    Former DPW director receives federal prison sentence for wire fraud.

  11. Ethics Commission Expands Compliance Staff

    Policy

    The Ethics Commission grows from 21 to 28 staffers to handle new compliance duties after the Nuru scandal.

  12. City Starts DPW Contract Review

    Investigation

    Mayor Breed orders internal review of Public Works contracting practices.

  13. FBI Arrests DPW Chief Mohammed Nuru

    Legal

    Agents take Nuru into custody over bribery and corruption allegations.

Scenarios

1

Lurie's FY2027-28 Budget Cuts DPW Watchdog Further

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: SF Standard's Power Play newsletter; city budget watchdog groups

The city's deficit persists into the next fiscal year. Lurie's proposed budget trims the integrity office again, reducing it to a skeleton team that mostly handles complaints rather than proactive audits. Contract review shifts to the city attorney's office, which lacks the department-specific expertise.

2

New Contract Corruption Case Emerges

Unlikely Resolves by Sep 17, 2028

Discussed by: Not currently predicted in print; identified as a risk in this analysis

With fewer watchdogs, a contractor or DPW staffer takes the chance and gets caught. Federal prosecutors, who built experience in the Nuru case, file new charges. The scandal reignites public pressure and forces the city to reinvest in oversight.

3

Board of Supervisors Blocks Further Cuts

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: SF supervisor offices; government-reform advocacy groups

Supervisors reviewed Lurie's budget proposal and add a supplemental appropriation to restore integrity office staff. The move stalls the cuts, keeping the watchdog at roughly its current size. The board cites the cost of the Nuru scandal versus the price of prevention.

4

Voters Pass Lurie's Anti-Corruption Charter Reforms in November

Deadline passed (Nov 3, 2026)

Discussed by: SF Standard's Power Play newsletter; Lurie campaign

Lurie is asking voters to pass three charter reform measures to 'end corrupt contracting.' If they pass, new contracting rules take effect even as the Ethics Commission's enforcement staff is smaller.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

July 2010–2016

City of Bell, California Corruption Scandal (2010)

The L.A. Times revealed Bell's city manager Robert Rizzo earned $800K a year and the police chief $457K — salaries that dwarfed those of officials in cities 100 times larger. The district attorney charged six officials; Rizzo later pleaded guilty to corruption charges.

Then

Rizzo and four others pleaded guilty; Bell raised property taxes by 43% to cover its financial hole.

Now

California passed salary-disclosure rules for local agencies, but the underlying governance problems in small cities continued and public scrutiny faded.

Why this matters now

Mirrors SF's pattern: a scandal produces reform legislation or new oversight bodies, then attention fades and the structural safeguards erode as new political priorities take over.

1998–2013

LAPD Rampart Scandal and Consent Decree (1998–2001)

Rampart CRASH officer Rafael Pérez planted evidence and framed suspects; the fallout implicated 70 or more officers. In 2001, the city entered a federal consent decree mandating sweeping police reforms, including an inspector general and stricter disciplinary procedures.

Then

LAPD created an inspector general, a disciplinary matrix, and a computerized tracking system for officer conduct.

Now

The federal judge lifted the consent decree in 2013. Critics said some practices—like underreporting use of force—crept back once the external pressure was gone.

Why this matters now

Shows how institutional fixes born in crisis can lose force once the court or the scandal recedes — the same risk SF's integrity office now faces as budget pressures mount.

Sources

(9)
+5
The San Francisco Standard Mission Local SF Ethics Commission SF.gov The San Francisco Standard The San Francisco Standard The San Francisco Standard The San Francisco Standard Mission Local