SF Ethics Commission

 2000 - 1Q

2000 - 1Q

FIRST QUARTER 2000 SUMMARY OF EARNINGS AND ACTIVITY OF CAMPAIGN CONSULTANTS REGISTERED WITH THE CITY December 1, 1999 - February 29, 2000

FIRST QUARTER 2000

1. Introduction

   The Regulation of Campaign Consultants Ordinance ("Ordinance"), San Francisco Administrative Code Sections 16.540-16.547, was approved by San Francisco voters in November 1997. The Ordinance requires persons who earn $1,000 or more per year for campaign consultant services to register with the Ethics Commission and file quarterly activity reports.

   The first quarter activity reports were due on March 15, 2000 and covered the filing period beginning December 1, 1999 and ending February 29, 2000. Seventeen campaign consultants filed with the Ethics Commission in the first quarter of 2000.

2. Comparative Data

   The level of campaign consultant activity has fluctuated since the first filing in June 1998 (the second quarter of 1998). The chart below compares data compiled pertaining to campaign consultant activity since the implementation of the Ordinance. As indicated in the chart, the level of campaign consultant activity increases or decreases, depending on the time of year and whether an election is held. For example, the second quarter of 1998 (March 1, 1998 – May 31, 1998) followed a large June 2, 1998 election with 12 ballot measures and two elective office positions. Because there was no June election in 1999, the activity level for the second quarter of 1999 is considerably lower.

   Quarter	Number of Consultants	Total Payments Promised	Total Payments Received	Total Contributions Made
   Second Quarter 1998	24	$1,560,742	$1,432,631	$4,100
   Third Quarter 1998	25	$341,745	$379,859	$3,405
   Fourth Quarter 1998	30	$638,498	$784,507	$1,975
   First Quarter 1999	22	$71,969	$142,355	$550
   Second Quarter 1999	28	$201,983	$485,071	$1,500
   Third Quarter 1999	34	$395,440	$1,168,597	$4,150
   Fourth Quarter 1999	38	$1,343,362	$2,489,276	$3,800
   First Quarter 2000	17	$904,891	$1,293,901	$2,750

3. The Campaign Consultant Ordinance

The Ordinance defines "campaign consultant" to mean a person or entity that receives or is promised $1,000 or more in a calendar year for providing either of the following services:

"Campaign Management," defined to mean conducting, coordinating or supervising a campaign to elect, defeat, retain or recall a local candidate, or adopt or defeat a local ballot measure, including but not limited to:

OR

"Campaign Strategy," defined to mean planning for the election, defeat, retention or recall of a local candidate, or for the adoption or defeat of a local ballot measure, including not but limited to:

Employees of campaign consultants do not themselves qualify as campaign consultants. However, persons and entities that subcontract with a campaign consultant to provide campaign consulting services and that receive or are promised $1,000 or more in a calendar year do qualify as campaign consultants.

Campaign consultants are required to report only activity associated with local candidates or local ballot measures. For purposes of the Ordinance, "candidate" means: (1) a person who has taken affirmative action to seek nomination or election to local office, (2) or a local officeholder who has taken affirmative action to seek nomination or election to any elective office, (3) or a local officeholder who is the subject of a recall election.

"Local officeholder" means the following elected officers: Mayor, Members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, City Attorney, District Attorney, Treasurer, Sheriff, Assessor, Public Defender, Members of the Board of Education of the San Francisco Unified School District, Members of the Governing Board of the San Francisco Community College District.

"Measure" means a local referendum, or a local ballot measure, whether or not it qualifies for the ballot.

The Commission staff has compiled the information filed by campaign consultants for the first quarter of 2000 in the attached tables. All amounts reported by campaign consultants have been rounded off.

IV. Description of Quarterly Report Tables

BALLOT MEASURES

A: Recreation and Parks

B: Academy of Sciences

C: Open Space

D: Health and Retirement Benefits for Supervisors

E: Public Assistance Benefits

Most filers reported activity pertaining to the March 7, 2000 election. Table 1 reflects the ballot measures and elective offices for that election.

Table 2 summarizes all reported activity by campaign consultants for the first quarter of 2000. Filers are listed in descending order of the payments received. Also reported are the total payments promised by or received from clients and any political contributions made by the filers. In addition, any gifts made to City officeholders are reported in Table 2.

Filers are required to report "economic consideration" promised by or received from clients in exchange for campaign consulting services during the applicable reporting period. Economic consideration includes payments, fees, commissions, reimbursements for expenses, gifts or anything else of value. Table 3 lists the name of the filer in alphabetical order, the filer’s clients, the services performed for that client, the payment promised by the client in the reporting period, and the payment actually received. The table also indicates the total payments promised or received. The total payments promised to the filer by each client are shaded in gray. The total payments promised by all clients to filers during the first quarter were $904,891. The total payments received by all filers from all clients during the first quarter were $1,293,901.

Filers must report each political contribution of $100 to a candidate for local office; or committee controlled by local officeholder or candidate for local office; or ballot measure committee whether or not the committee is controlled by a local officeholder or a candidate for local office. Filers must report contributions of $100 or more made or delivered by the filer, or made by the filer’s client at the filer’s behest, or for which the filer acted as an agent or intermediary during the reporting period. This chart indicates the political contributions made by campaign consultants during the reporting period. The total reported amount of political contributions given by filers during the first quarter was $2,750.

Each filer must report economic consideration promised to or received by the filer during the reporting period from vendors and subvendors who provide campaign-related goods or services to the filer’s current clients. This chart indicates the name of the filer, the name of the vendor and the amount of the payment promised to or received by the filer. No filer reported receiving any payments from vendors during the reporting period.

Each filer must report any gifts promised or made by the filer to a local officeholder during the reporting period which in the aggregate total $50 or more. One filer reported making gifts to City officeholders during the reporting period, in the amount of $64.

TABLE 6: GIFTS TO LOCAL OFFICEHOLDERS
Campaign Consultant	Officeholder	Date of Gift	Description of Gift	Value
Solem & Associates	Supervisor Alicia Becerril	December 10, 1999	Box of candy	$19
	Supervisor Alicia Becerril	February 24, 2000	Ticket to Hotel Council luncheon	$45
			Total	$64

 

If the filer employs a local officeholder or City employee during the reporting period, the filer must report the name of the officeholder or City employee and describe the nature of the employment by the filer. In addition, if a client of the filer employs a local officeholder or City employee at the behest of the filer during the reporting period, the filer must report the name of the client, the name of each officeholder or City employee hired by the client, and the nature of the employment by the client. No filer reported employing a local officeholder or City employee during the reporting period.

If the filer obtains a City contract during the reporting period and the contract is approved by a local officeholder who is the filer’s client, the filer must report the contract, the date the contract was obtained, and the name of the officeholder who approved the contract. No filer reported obtaining a City contract during the reporting period.

If the filer is appointed to public office during the reporting period and the appointment is made by a local officeholder who is the filer’s client, the filer must report the public office to which the filer was appointed, the date of the appointment, and the name of the officeholder who appointed the filer. No filer reported appointment to public office during the reporting period.

Amendments

This table indicates any amendments made by a filer to any previous report.

Courtney Schendorf amended her fourth quarter 1999 report to indicate that she received $2,731 from her client, Clint Reilly for Mayor.

Belinda Griswold amended her fourth quarter 1999 report to indicate that she made two contributions to Tom Ammiano for Mayor, in the amounts of $400 and $250.