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(a) FUTURE EMPLOYMENT. No lobbyist shall cause or influence the introduction or initiation of any local legislative or administrative action for the purpose of thereafter being employed or retained to secure its granting, denial, confirmation, rejection, passage, or defeat.
(b) FICTITIOUS PERSONS. No contact lobbyist shall contact any officer of the City and County in the name of any fictitious person or in the name of any real person, except with the consent of such real person.
(c) EVASION OF OBLIGATIONS. No lobbyist shall attempt to evade the obligations imposed by this Chapter through indirect efforts or through the use of agents, associates, or employees.
(d) CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS – PROHIBITIONS.
(1) No lobbyist shall make any contribution to a City elective officer or candidate for City elective office, including the City elective officer’s or candidate’s controlled committees, if that lobbyist (A) is registered to lobby the agency of the City elective officer or the agency for which the candidate is seeking election or (B) has been registered to lobby that agency in the previous 90 days.
(2) If a lobbyist has failed to disclose which agencies the lobbyist attempts to influence, as required by Section 2.110(b), the lobbyist may not make a contribution to any City elective officer or candidate for City elective office, or any City elective officer’s or candidate’s controlled committees.
(e) BUNDLING OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS – PROHIBITIONS.
(1) No lobbyist shall deliver or transmit, or deliver or transmit through a third party, any contribution made by another person to any City elective officer or candidate for City elective office, or any City elective officer’s or candidate’s controlled committees, if that lobbyist (A) is registered to lobby the agency for which the candidate is seeking election or the agency of the City elective officer or (B) has been registered to lobby that agency in the previous 90 days.
(2) If a lobbyist has failed to disclose which agencies the lobbyist attempts to influence, as required by Section 2.110(b), the lobbyist may not deliver or transmit, or deliver or transmit through a third party, any contribution made by another person to any City elective officer or candidate for City elective office, or any City elective officer’s or candidate’s controlled committees.
(f) AGGREGATION OF AFFILIATED ENTITY CONTRIBUTIONS. For purposes of the contribution limits imposed by subsections (e) and (f), the contributions of an entity whose contributions are directed and controlled by any lobbyist shall be aggregated with contributions made by that lobbyist as set forth in Section 1.114(c).
(g) REGULATIONS. The Ethics Commission may adopt regulations implementing this Section 2.115, but such regulations may not establish any exceptions from the limits and prohibitions set forth therein.
(Added by Ord. 71-00, File No. 000358, App. 4/28/2000; amended by Ord. 235-09, File No. 090833, App. 11/10/2009; Prop. C, App. 11/3/2015, Oper. 2/1/2016; Prop. T, App. 11/8/2016, Oper. 1/1/2018; re-enacted and amended by Proposition D, 3/5/2024, Eff. 4/12/2024, Oper. 10/12/2024)
(a) Each contact lobbyist must complete a lobbyist training session offered by the Ethics Commission within one year of the lobbyist’s initial registration. Thereafter, contact lobbyists shall attend additional training sessions as required by the Executive Director, at his or her discretion.
(b) The Ethics Commission shall make lobbyist training sessions available on its website.
(c) On or before the deadline for completing any required lobbyist training session, each contact lobbyist must file a signed declaration with the Ethics Commission stating, under penalty of perjury, that the lobbyist has completed the required training session.
(Added by Ord. 235-09, File No. 090833, App. 11/10/2009; amended by Ord. 98-14
, File No. 130374, App. 6/26/2014, Eff. 7/26/2014; Prop. C, App. 11/3/2015, Oper. 2/1/2016; re-enacted by Proposition D, 3/5/2024, Eff. 4/12/2024, Oper. 10/12/2024)
(a) PROHIBITION. No campaign consultant, individual who has an ownership interest in the campaign consultant, or an employee of the campaign consultant shall communicate with any officer of the City and County who is a current or former client of the campaign consultant on behalf of another person or entity (other than the City and County) in exchange for economic consideration for the purpose of influencing local legislative or administrative action.
(b) EXCEPTIONS.
(1) This prohibition shall not apply to:
(A) an employee of a campaign consultant whose sole duties are clerical; or
(B) an employee of a campaign consultant who did not personally provide campaign consulting services to the officer of the City and County with whom the employee seeks to communicate in order to influence local legislative or administrative action.
(2) The exceptions in Subsection (b)(1) shall not apply to any person who communicates with an officer of the City and County in his or her capacity as an employee of the campaign consultant who is prohibited by Subsection (a) from making the communication.
(c) DEFINITIONS. Whenever the following words or phrases are used in this Section, they shall mean:
(1) “Campaign consultant” shall have the same meaning as in Article I, Chapter 5, Section 1.505 of this Code.
(2) “Campaign consulting services” shall have the same meaning as in Article I, Chapter 5, Section 1.505 of this Code.
(3) “Current client” shall mean a person for whom the campaign consultant has filed a client authorization statement pursuant to Article I, Chapter 5, Section 1.515(d) of this Code and not filed a client termination statement pursuant to Article I, Chapter 5, Section 1.515(f) of this Code. If such person is a committee as defined by Section 82013 of the California Government Code, the current client shall be any individual who controls such committee; any candidate that such committee was primarily formed to support; and any proponent or opponent of a ballot measure that the committee is primarily formed to support or oppose.
(4) “Employee” shall mean an individual employed by a campaign consultant, but does not include any individual who has an ownership interest in the campaign consultant that employs them.
(5) “Former client” shall mean a person for whom the campaign consultant has filed a client termination statement pursuant to Article I, Chapter 5, Section 1.515(f) of this Code within the 60 months prior to communicating with the person.
(Added by Ord. 28-04, File No. 031656, App. 2/20/2004; amended by Ord. 239-08, File No. 080162, App. 10/30/2008; Ord. 235-09, File No. 090833, App. 11/10/2009; re-enacted by Proposition D, 3/5/2024, Eff. 4/12/2024, Oper. 10/12/2024)
(a) EMPLOYMENT OF CITY AND COUNTY OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES. If any lobbyist employs or requests, recommends or causes a client of the lobbyist to employ, and such client does employ, any officer of the City and County, any immediate family member or registered domestic partner of an officer of the City and County, or any person known by such lobbyist to be a full-time employee of the City and County, in any capacity whatsoever, the lobbyist shall file within 10 days after such employment a statement with the Ethics Commission setting out the name of the employee, the date first employed, the nature of the employment duties, and the salary or rate of pay of the employee.
(b) APPOINTMENT OF EMPLOYEE TO CITY OFFICE. If an employee of a lobbyist is appointed to City or County office, the lobbyist shall file within 10 days after such appointment a statement with the Ethics Commission setting out the name of the employee, the date first employed, the nature of the employment duties, and the salary or rate of pay of the employee.
(c) REPORT OF SALARY. Whenever a filer is required to report the salary of an employee who is also an officer or employee of the City and County pursuant to this Section, the filer need only disclose whether the total salary payments made to the employee are less than or equal to $250, greater than $250 but less than or equal to $1,000, greater than $1,000 but less than or equal to $10,000, or greater than $10,000.
(Added by Ord. 71-00, File No. 000358, App. 4/28/2000; re-enacted by Proposition D, 3/5/2024, Eff. 4/12/2024, Oper. 10/12/2024)
It shall be unlawful knowingly to pay any contact lobbyist to contact any officer of the City and County of San Francisco, if said contact lobbyist is required to register under this Chapter and has not done so by the deadlines imposed in this Chapter.
(Added by Ord. 71-00, File No. 000358, App. 4/28/2000; amended by Ord. 235-09, File No. 090833, App. 11/10/2009; Prop. C, App. 11/3/2015, Oper. 2/1/2016; re-enacted by Proposition D, 3/5/2024, Eff. 4/12/2024, Oper. 10/12/2024)
(a) All information required under this Chapter shall be submitted to the Ethics Commission, in the format designated by the Commission, which may include an electronic format. The lobbyist shall verify, under penalty of perjury, the accuracy and completeness of the information provided under this Chapter.
(b) The lobbyist shall retain for a period of five years all books, papers and documents necessary to substantiate the registration and disclosure reports required by this Chapter. These records shall include, but not be limited to, copies of all fundraising solicitations sent by the lobbyist or his or her agent for an officer of the City and County, a candidate for such office, a committee controlled by such officer or candidate, or a committee primarily formed to support or oppose such officer or candidate, or any committee primarily formed to support or oppose a ballot measure to be voted on only in San Francisco.
(c) On an annual basis, the Executive Director shall initiate audits of one or more lobbyists selected at random. At the request of the Executive Director, the Controller may assist in conducting these audits. This requirement shall not restrict the authority of the Executive Director or the Ethics Commission to undertake any other audits or investigations of a lobbyist authorized by law or regulation. Within ten business days of a request by the Ethics Commission, a lobbyist or anyone required to register as a lobbyist shall provide the Ethics Commission with any documents required to be retained under this Section.
(Added by Ord. 71-00, File No. 000358, App. 4/28/2000; amended by Ord. 235-09, File No. 090833, App. 11/10/2009; Ord. 98-14
, File No. 130374, App. 6/26/2014, Eff. 7/26/2014; re-enacted and amended by Proposition D, 3/5/2024, Eff. 4/12/2024, Oper. 10/12/2024)
(a) PROHIBITION. No person shall knowingly and intentionally furnish false or fraudulent evidence, documents, or information to the Ethics Commission, District Attorney or City Attorney, or knowingly and intentionally misrepresent any material fact, or conceal any evidence, documents, or information relevant to an investigation by the Ethics Commission, District Attorney or City Attorney of an alleged violation of this Chapter.
(b) DUTY TO COOPERATE AND ASSIST. The Ethics Commission, District Attorney or City Attorney may request and shall receive from every City officer and employee cooperation and assistance with an investigation into an alleged violation of this Chapter.
(Added by Ord. 98-14
, File No. 130374, App. 6/26/2014, Eff. 7/26/2014; re-enacted by Proposition D, 3/5/2024, Eff. 4/12/2024, Oper. 10/12/2024)
(a) The Ethics Commission shall prescribe the format for the submission of all information required by this Chapter.
(b) Upon request by the Board of Supervisors or the Mayor, the Ethics Commission shall compile the information submitted pursuant to this Chapter and forward a report of the compiled information to the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor within thirty days of receipt of the request.
(c) Upon request by the Board of Supervisors or the Mayor, the Ethics Commission shall file a report with the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor on the implementation of this Chapter within thirty days of receipt of the request.
(d) The Ethics Commission shall preserve all original reports, statements, and other records required to be kept or filed under this Chapter for a period of five years. Such reports, statements, and records shall constitute a part of the public records of the Ethics Commission and shall be open to public inspection.
(e) The Ethics Commission shall provide formal and informal advice regarding the duties under this Chapter of a person or entity pursuant to the procedures specified in San Francisco Charter Section C3.699-12.
(f) The Ethics Commission shall have the power to adopt all reasonable and necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of this Chapter pursuant to Charter Section 15.102.
(g) The Ethics Commission shall conduct quarterly workshops concerning the laws relating to lobbying.
(Added by Ord. 71-00, File No. 000358, App. 4/28/2000; amended by Ord. 235-09, File No. 090833, App. 11/10/2009; re-enacted by Proposition D, 3/5/2024, Eff. 4/12/2024, Oper. 10/12/2024)
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