Florence Kong, who was convicted and incarcerated for one of the more theatrical misdeeds in the Mohammed Nuru affair, has reached a settlement agreement with the city of San Francisco — for a whopping $750,000.
Kong, who owned a construction company and a construction debris recycling company with city contracts, was sentenced in 2021 to a year and a day in federal prison. She was found guilty of repeatedly lying to federal investigators about gifting disgraced and since-convicted former Public Works boss Nuru cash, expensive meals, a gate for his Colusa County dacha and, most memorably, a gold Rolex watch valued at some $36,000.
She reported to prison in August 2021.
Locally, legislation was today sent to the Board of Supervisors that would greenlight one of the city’s largest-ever ethics fines. Per the agreement, Kong and three of her erstwhile companies will be made to disgorge $640,500 received via tainted city contracts, and pay an additional $109,500 in ethics fees and fines.
This is the largest settlement and fine since notorious former permit expediter and contractor Walter Wong agreed in 2021 to remunerate the city some $1.45 million for his own tainted contracts, and pay $318,000 more in ethics fines and fees.
Then-City Attorney Dennis Herrera barred Kong, SFR Recovery and Kwan Wo Ironworks from receiving city contracts in March 2021. The settlement made public today would debar Kong, SFR Recovery and another of her companies, Kin Wo Construction, until March 2026.
Kwan Wo Ironworks, which the City Attorney states has since parted ways with Kong, will be suspended until either March of this year, or until the full payment of the $750,000 settlement.
In addition to her prison term, Kong was also mandated to pay a $95,000 federal penalty.
Nuru was arrested by federal agents in January 2020, setting in motion an ongoing reshuffling of San Francisco city government. He was sentenced to seven years in federal prison in 2022.
Today’s announced settlement agreement “sends a strong message that those who undermine our contracting processes will have to pay for those actions,” said City Attorney David Chiu today.
“I am proud of our attorneys and investigators for securing such a significant settlement that fully resolves this matter. To her credit, Ms. Kong cooperated with our investigation, took responsibility for wrongdoing, and was eager to rectify past harms.”
I wish I worked for the city and county of San Francisco, so I could get a gold Rolex too…
The Ethics Commission is always out in front, as is the City Attorney in proactively identifying corruption in progress, LOL.
Nope, only once someone is made persona non grata by The City Family, then and only then does the punitive machinery of the City get rolling.
This being San Francisco, the $750,000 fine will be allocated to procure 75 new garbage cans from Kwan Wo Ironworks, and we will end up receiving only 5.
Mayor Breed is associated with Nuru in wrong doing but got away without prosecution! She should not be allow to hold public office! Maybe her soon to be fail re-election will bring her questionable ethics to light!
The feds may not be done yet.