Three former San Francisco mayors join a group of former elected officials in the city, calling for a criminal investigation into mayoral candidate Mark Farrell, who they accuse of violating campaign finance law.
On Monday, a letter was sent by a group of prominent former San Francisco elected officials, called on San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and California Attorney General Rob Bonta to investigate alleged violations of campaign finance law by Farrell.
Former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown. is one of the nine individuals, who signed the letter, a group that includes three former mayors of San Francisco, who are each endorsing different candidates in the upcoming race for mayor.
“There’s not one scintilla of evidence that we’ve talked to anyone of the people that we are individually supporting,” Brown said.
In the letter, they’re accusing Farrell of using hundreds of thousands of dollars from a ballot measure committee he formed to promote Proposition D, to pay for expenses connected to his campaign for mayor.
The letter said campaign contributions for candidates are capped at $500 per person, whereas contributions to ballot measures are unrestricted.
Farrell released a statement on Monday and he said the shared expenses have been accounted for and disclosed.
“It is silly season in San Francisco politics and voters should see right through this blatant coordinated attempt by my political opponents," he said. "Each of these former mayors has endorsed one of my political opponents in this race, and this is nothing but pure political tactics, and it is shameful."
Political expert James Taylor said this may be the October surprise, what we come to expect this time of year.
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“This is the political leadership, the elders of city of San Francisco warning voters that there is a problem with one of the preferred candidate but if DA Jenkins or Rob Bonta actually responds, that would be even bigger news," he said.
The group said they want an investigation before the November election. NBC Bay Area reached out to both the DA’s office and the AG’s office for comment, but have yet to hear back.
