The San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (SFDCCC) will be given a progress report on the Special Committee, created in response to recent high-profile allegations against local political leaders, this week at its monthly meeting on July 24. The committee will also vote on endorsements for supervisor and mayor at the meeting.
The move by the SFDCCC, now under new leadership elected the previous year, comes in the wake of several high-profile incidents involving allegations of sexual assault by local politicos, most notably former commissioner and affordable housing executive Jon Jacobo, and Kevin Ortiz, a copresident of the Latinx Democratic Club and former staffer to Representative Nancy Pelosi.
The current proposal, still in early drafts, results from hearings and workshops held by the SFDCCC’s Special Committee on Sexual Assault and Harassment in the San Francisco Political Community beginning in May. Members of the SFDCCC’s now significantly reduced progressive faction raised some objections to the process, implying that it could be used for political retaliation. Nevertheless, progressive clubs, including the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club and Latinx Democratic Club, have been participating in good faith, according to sources. In all, 15 local clubs, survivors, and subject matter experts took part in what has been described as “uncharted territory” for a local political party committee.
“The Policy Workshops have been robust, complex, and highly productive,” Lily Ho, chair of the SFDCCC’s Special Committee, told The Voice in a text. “We are so optimistic about the collaborative spirit, candid dialogue, expertise, and lived experiences that all participants have allowed us to incorporate into the draft policies.”
Affordable housing activist Sasha Perigo accused Jacobo of rape in 2021 and provided credible evidence of the attack. Her allegations were mainly met with silence by the city’s political establishment; when employees at Mission Girls Services spoke up in support of Perigo in a social media post, superiors at the nonprofit demanded it be taken down, and they fired a site coordinator for violating social media policy.
Meanwhile, Jacobo stepped down from his post at the city’s building inspection commission but retained his job at the politically powerful TODCO affordable housing development nonprofit until further allegations against him surfaced last April.
By last July, earlier rumored allegations against Ortiz also surfaced. Zahra Hajee, a former aide to Supervisor Rafael Mandelman now working as communications director for Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, filed a police report accusing Ortiz of assaulting her twice in 2021. Hajee filed the report last April after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Ortiz’s lawyers that month.
The policy package includes a code of conduct, which, according to a report released July 21 by the Special Committee, is aimed at “providing a welcoming, respectful, friendly, safe, supportive, and harassment-free environment for members, employees, interns, volunteers, contractors, and all others associated with the SFDCCC.” notes that the realm of politics “particularly predisposed for abuses due to historical common hierarchies of power … and environments with inherent unequal power dynamics.“
The code will encourage bystander intervention and require committee members, Democratic club leaders, and political candidates endorsed by the committee to undergo training on how to prevent and respond to sexual assault and harassment.
The proposal also contains a protocol for reporting, investigating, and adjudicating incidents of harassment or assault. Those who have committed inappropriate conduct could face private or public admonishment or bans from Democratic party or club events. A club that fails to follow up on complaints could have its charter suspended or revoked. Any sanctions imposed by the SFDCCC would be separate from any criminal or civil liability incurred.
Additionally, a rule will require posting a notice at local Democratic events urging the report of any incidents“to either the SFDCCC disciplinary process, the leadership of the sponsoring organization, or the proper authorities” to help ensure that events like fundraisers, celebrations, or other events where alcohol would likely be present can avoid incidents.
Ho intimated that the current moment, with recent incidents being highlighted and a change in leadership at the SFDCCC, meant the time was right to introduce the policies.
“We finally have one, the political will, and two, the lack of impediments that come in the form of people in the position of power who do not want to see such policies in place,” she added. “Accountability for sexual assault and harassment in the arena of politics is fairly recent, given the historical context of how long it’s existed.”
The draft policies are expected to be discussed at the SFDCCC’s August meeting, with an approval vote expected in September. Chartered clubs will likely adopt the policies by October, and full implementation should begin in January. To that end, the Committee will also likely vote this week to postpone chartering clubs until October.
The SFDCCC will also likely vote on endorsements for the supervisor and mayor positions in the November election at the July 24 meeting. Endorsement interviews took place over the July 20 and 21 weekend and can be streamed on the Committee’s Facebook page.
The committee has a new centrist majority, and incumbent Mayor London Breed looks to be the odds-on favorite for endorsement as first choice. Supporters of former Interim Mayor Mark Farrell, philanthropist Daniel Lurie, and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin will vie for second and third-choice endorsements.
Sources close to the action tell The Voice that some tactical voting plays, such as lowering the votes necessary for endorsement by asking some members to abstain from voting, may be in the offing. Political junkies should be prepared to witness some surprises on Wednesday as campaigns and SFDCCC members try to factor in the dynamics of ranked-choice voting along with ways to differentiate the Democratic party slate card from the avalanche of political ads expected as November moves closer.
Updated: 3:28 p.m. PST to clarify the SFDCCC’s timeline for consideration of the new policies.
