San Francisco Corruption Scandal: Ex-SFPUC Head Convicted Amidst Ongoing City Hall Investigations

The unfolding corruption case in San Francisco continues, with the latest news of former San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) head, Harlan Kelly, being convicted on six of the eight counts against him - this includes conspiracy, bank fraud, and honest services wire fraud, according to a CBS News report. However, the jury acquitted Kelly of two additional wire fraud charges.

Kelly resigned from his position in November 2020, as he was caught up in a federal investigation of City Hall corruption that involved other San Francisco officials such as Mohammed Nuru - the former director of the city's Department of Public Works. Kelly was accused of a bribery scheme where contractor Walter Wong provided Kelly with discounted construction work and a paid international vacation for his family in exchange for confidential internal documents concerning the city's bidding process.

In a another corruption case, KTVU's Henry K. Lee tweeted about former San Francisco Building Commission president, Rodrigo Santos, who was previously arrested in May 2020 and pled guilty to bank fraud, honest services fraud, tax evasion, and falsifying records. The tweet also mentioned Bernard Curran, a former senior building inspector with the city's Department of Building Inspection, being sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for accepting illegal gratuities from a San Francisco developer and Santos.

Kelly is awaiting his sentencing hearing, while his wife, Naomi Kelly, the former city administrator for San Francisco, has not been charged in the City Hall corruption case. However, she stepped down from her position in January 2021 following her husband's arrest.

These latest convictions and investigations highlight the ongoing efforts by federal authorities and the City Attorney's Office to root out corruption in San Francisco. In a statement reacting to the verdict, City Attorney David Chiu said, "Today, the work of the U.S. Attorney's Office has brought justice in this matter. There is no room in our city government for corruption or self-enrichment. Through our joint public integrity investigation with the Controller's Office, we are continuing to root out corruption wherever it exists and ensure city government is held to the highest ethical standards."