Homeless nonprofit paid SF official’s son $10K for five slides

A homeless nonprofit paid the son of San Francisco’s prime human rights boss $10,000 to organize 5 slides for a panel his mom moderated — as she was signing metropolis contracts value thousands and thousands to the group, in line with prosecutors.

Sheryl Davis, former head of the San Francisco Human Rights Fee, was arrested Monday on a slew of public corruption fees stemming from her time main the scandal-scarred Dream Keeper initiative, a $120 million plan to assist the town’s black communities.

Davis signed metropolis contracts value greater than $3.5 million to Homeless Kids’s Community, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that gives substance abuse counseling and different companies to at-risk households — and prosecutors say the org then made “questionable” funds to Davis’ younger son totaling greater than $140,000.

That included a good-looking price of $10,000 to create “5 presentation slides for a panel” that Homeless Kids’s Community Govt Director appeared on, together with “solutions to questions she may very well be requested.”

Davis’ son, recognized in metropolis information as Henry Davis, was paid $140,000 by the nonprofit over lower than three years for analysis companies.

Davis’ son has not been accused of wrongdoing, however the funds created “the looks of impropriety and unfairness,” prosecutors famous.

He was allowed to “insert an outline of labor he would carry out into contracts” and set his personal pay schedule and worth as a part of the plum gig, per the affidavit.

Homeless Kids’s Community made funds into an account held collectively by Davis and her son — making a battle of curiosity, prosecutors allege.

Nevertheless, it’s unclear exactly how a lot of the doubtful funds got here immediately from metropolis funds because the nonprofit’s information had been “principally paper-based and digital information weren’t dependable,” in line with prosecutors.

Davis was accused of a “pervasive sample of self-dealing” whereas answerable for the Dream Keeper Initiative — leading to 17 felony and two misdemeanor fees after an 18-month investigation by the San Francisco District Lawyer.

Davis’ live-in accomplice, James Spingola, was additionally arrested on suspicion of 4 felony counts of aiding Davis’ actions.

Davis allegedly used Collective Affect, Spingola’s nonprofit, as a “slush fund” to “to assist fund celebrity-studded occasions, restaurant buyouts, VIP tickets and different high-dollar bills.

Her division cut up prices with Collective Affect to pay a $10,000 speaker price to Sonya Curry, mom of Warriors star Steph Curry, roughly $27,000 to singer Goapele, $25,000 for rapper and producer D-Good, and a few $25,000 to crooner Grammy-nominated songstress Emily King, per the affidavit.

The previous human rights chief didn’t disclose her shut relationship with Spingola whereas directing metropolis funds to his charity, in line with ethics watchdogs.

Collective Affect obtained almost $8.5 million in metropolis grants between 2021 and 2024.

A prior audit discovered the ex-Human Rights Fee director additionally spent division funds on a $2.1 million occasion in Philadelphia involving an ice rink rental, DJ, floral preparations and catering, $267,000 in gala tickets and sponsorships, and a $60,000 venue rental at the Golden State Warriors’ Chase Heart.

Collective Affect additionally paid “greater than $45,000 to or on behalf of [Davis’ son] in 2023 and 2024,” prosecutors mentioned.

---

Obtain The California Publish App, comply with us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters