District 10 candidate for supervisor Shawn Richard is urging opponent Theo Ellington to redirect a $500,000 donation from crypto billionaire Chris Larsen to churches and community groups in the Bayview.
Shawn Richard, one of several candidates seeking to replace termed-out Supervisor Shamann Walton in District 10, made the demand Sunday from the steps of City Hall, calling on the independent committee supporting Theo Ellington to put crypto billionaire Chris Larsen’s unprecedented $500,000 contribution toward residents struggling with the cost of food and basic necessities.
In a press release, Richard said the money could have a more immediate impact if it were directed to longstanding Black and community churches in the Bayview to purchase groceries, food, and household supplies for congregants and neighborhood residents. He also suggested to the SF Standard that the money go toward supporting mental health and addiction services, as well as neglected small-business corridors.
“I believe that money would do far more good feeding families than filling mailboxes with political advertisements,” Richard said.
Richard’s proposal is legally possible. Under California’s Political Reform Act, political committees can donate campaign funds to qualifying charitable, educational, civic, religious, or similar tax-exempt nonprofits — if the contribution meets the applicable requirements and doesn’t personally benefit anyone connected to the committee, according to the Standard.
Ellington has reportedly emphasized that the PAC operates independently of his campaign and said outside groups make their own decisions about participating in elections. He pointed to his record of growing up in District 10 and raising his family there, as well as his work on affordable housing, jobs, environmental justice, public safety, and opportunities for working families.
Richard argued to the Standard that Ellington should not be able to distance himself entirely from the donation simply because it went to an independent political committee rather than his campaign.
“Do you own your name, or do they own your name?” Richard asked.
Meanwhile, Ellington’s campaign has raised about $480,000 in addition to Larsen’s donation, bringing the total to nearly $1 million. Ellington’s two other opponents, JR Eppler, and DJ Brookter, raised roughly $151,000 and $129,000 respectively.
Eppler and Brookter reportedly criticized Larsen’s contribution when it was reported last week, per the Standard. Eppler questioned whether billionaires’ political investments come with expectations of influence, and Brookter raised concerns about whose interests would ultimately be represented.
Richard’s own campaign committee, “Elect Shawn M. Richard for District 10 Supervisor 2026,” has reported no financial activity this cycle.
Richard also questioned why Larsen would make such a large investment in a supervisor race in one of San Francisco’s most underserved districts. He pointed to undeveloped parcels in District 10 that could potentially support buildings as tall as 10 to 15 stories, as well as the two data centers planned in the area, including a 36-megawatt facility operated by NOVVA Data Centers on a 7.5-acre campus that's already operating.
Richard told the Standard that District 10 residents should have a greater say in how that development proceeds, making the supervisor’s seat particularly consequential for the neighborhood.
Richard, a lifelong San Franciscan and small-business owner, is the founder of Brothers Against Guns, which he started in 1995 after losing two younger brothers to gun violence. His campaign is focused on public safety and violence prevention, youth opportunities, jobs and economic development, affordable housing, small-business growth, and environmental justice in Bayview-Hunters Point.
Richard previously ran for District 10 supervisor in 2014, losing to then-incumbent Malia Cohen. District 10 encompasses Bayview-Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley, Portola, Dogpatch, and other southeastern neighborhoods and includes about 80,000 residents.
Previously: SF Crypto Billionaire Chris Larsen Gifts $500K to PAC Supporting Moderate District 10 Candidate
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