S.F. mayoral race: Breed says Farrell made 'inappropriate' call to her office on home remodel

Mayor London Breed on Thursday accused her opponent Mark Farrell of unethical behavior, alleging that the former supervisor asked her office for help expediting building permits to remodel a home he purchased in 2020 for more than $4.5 million.

Farrell strongly denied asking for preferential treatment and disputed the accusation as a “bold-face lie,” though he acknowledged that he called her chief of staff, Sean Elsbernd, shortly after purchasing his home to ask about the timeline for permitting on the project. Farrell said he did not ask Elsbernd to intervene.

The accusation, first reported by the San Francisco Standard, comes amid a mayoral campaign that has heated up in recent weeks, with candidates trading barbs over alleged ethical lapses.

Breed is facing her own scrutiny related to turmoil and reports of mismanagement and potential self-dealing surrounding her signature Dream Keeper Initiative. The reports spurred her to ask for the resignation of a top official last week. Farrell has faced questions about his own tenure, including about donations he solicited for his pet cause during his time as supervisor from companies seeking to influence him.



https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/breed-accuses-farrell-inappropriate-call-remodel-19777576.php