Former San Francisco Human Rights Commission leader accused of 'self-dealing,' public corruption
A former San Francisco official who oversaw a multimillion-dollar initiative that aimed to shift funding from law enforcement into Black communities after George Floyd’s death is accused of funneling taxpayer...
By Fox News · Fox News
A former San Francisco official who oversaw a multimillion-dollar initiative that aimed to shift funding from law enforcement into Black communities after George Floyd’s death is accused of funneling taxpayer money to a nonprofit she was tied to for personal gain. Sheryl Davis, 57, the former executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission who led the city’s Dream Keeper Initiative, is accused of directing more than $4.5 million in program funds to a nonprofit she previously ran while maintaining financial ties to it, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said Davis used public funds for personal benefit , while a city audit flagged spending on a 30-night luxury hotel stay, hundreds of sports tickets and lavishly catered events. MASSACHUSETTS AUDITOR TAKES TRANSPARENCY FIGHT TO HIGH COURT AFTER ALLEGED $12M FRAUD UNCOVERED Dream Keeper was described as a $120 million investment in San Francisco’s Black communities following Floyd’s death, with officials initially seeking to redirect funding away from law enforcement. Prosecutors alleged Davis remained connected to the nonprofit’s finances even after taking her city role, including serving as a signatory on its bank account and helping steer how the money was spent. Authorities said Davis directed millions in city funds to the nonprofit, Collective Impact, while maintaining personal and financial ties to the organization and its leadership. The district attorney’s office also alleges Davis approved more than $3.5 million in city funds to another organization that later paid her son nearly $140,000, with the money deposited into an account she jointly controlled. Davis and James Spingola, 65, a nonprofit executive and former head of Collective Impact with whom she had a personal relationship, were arrested Monday and charged in connection with the case, according to prosecutors. "Davis and Spingola’s finances were completely intertwined, suggesting a deep personal rela…