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Evan Low Nailed for Concealing Campaign Payments, Including a $227,000 Payment to Actor Alec Baldwin

Rising California political star Evan Low was just hit with a massive fine for concealing political donations and payments, and one payment that stands out was $227,000 under the table to actor Alec Baldwin for showing up at a Lunar New Year party.

SF Politics

AG Rob Bonta Facing Questions After Taking Campaign Donations From Casino His Office Was Investigating

State Attorney General Rob Bonta took a $16,000 contribution from a Southern California casino in his first month on the job. The problem? His office was investigating that casino for money laundering at the time, and the charges have since disappeared.

SF Politics

SF’s Two Biggest Billionaire-Backed Political Agitator Groups Are Merging After Getting Thumped In Election

After two big-bucks moderate political action committees spent nearly $10 million on failed attempts to elect Mark Farrell and pass Prop D, the groups Neighbors for a Better San Francisco and TogetherSF are licking their wounds and merging into one.

SF Politics

Mayor’s Race Ads From Seemingly Made-Up Commission Paid For by Pro-Mark Farrell PAC

Here’s one way around campaign finance laws: Make up a false, non-existent agency so the laws just don’t apply to your ads, mailers, and billboards. But these ads from the apparently made-up “Citizens for Campaign Finance Transparency” are paid for by a pro-Mark Farrell PAC.

SF Politics

Leaked Document Reveals the Secrets of Billionaire-Funded TogetherSF, of ‘That’s Fentalife’ Fame

The local pressure group and political action committee TogetherSF has $17 million of SF Standard owner Michael Moritz’s money and an agenda to stoke rage and “community dissatisfaction,” according to internal documents that were just leaked to the press.

SF Politics

Report: Mark Farrell Took $100K Check From Employer the Day He Became Interim Mayor, Which Seems Not Exactly Legal

It is illegal for the Mayor of San Francisco to hold a second job. So is it odd that Mark Farrell got paid more than $100,000 by his employer, just hours before being sworn in as interim mayor in 2018?

SF Politics

SF Political Moderate Group Gets Hefty Fine for Boudin Recall Campaign Finance Violations

The biggest-spending political group in SF, Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, was hit with a $54,000 fine for failing to disclose payments in the Boudin recall campaign, and now we learn that Brooke Jenkins got $175,000 for her “volunteer” work in the recall campaign.

SF Politics

Sheng Thao’s Romantic Partner Now Appears Ensnared In FBI Investigation, Too

The Oakland City Attorney may have some insights into what’s being investigated after the FBI raid on the mayor’s home, and Sheng Thao’s partner has been named. Oh, and a karaoke club with alleged drug sales and human trafficking just entered the scandal.

SF News

We’re Getting Clues On Why the FBI Raided Sheng Thao’s Home, and Other Oakland Politicians Might Be Worried Too

Thursday’s FBI raid on Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s house appears to be part of a larger investigation of Oakland’s trash pick-up contractor, and this thing might be a Mohammed Nuru-caliber scandal that ensnares many more politicians in Oakland — and beyond.

SF Politics

Wealthy Donors Funneling a Fortune to Make Prop. 1 Ads That Are Basically Just Brooke Jenkins Ads

The latest political campaign money end-around is setting up a state-level committee to prop up local DA Brooke Jenkins, and slather her face and name all over ads for next month’s statewide Proposition 1.

SF Politics

Big-Money SF Tech Groups Hoping To Steer Friendlier Policy Toward Big Money and Tech

Groups with generic and interchangeable-sounding names like GrowSF, TogetherSF Action, and Abundant SF are trying to exert more moderate influence on SF politics, with few actual members, but large amounts of campaign donation cash.

SF News

Attack of the Hacktivists

While the New Yorkers and the nation are gearing up for the Repbulican National Convention in New York City this weekend, protesters are gearing up for what is likely going to be the

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