In a scathing report issued today, San Francisco’s office of the controller unequivocally stated that the solicitation process for would-be beneficiaries of the city’s Community Challenge Grant Program was “deeply flawed” and must “be re-done properly.”
The grant program doled out nearly $3 million during its 2023 grant cycle to some 28 organizations.
Today’s assessment, undertaken by both the controller’s office and the office of the city attorney, “found that the results of the Community Challenge Grant program’s 2023 solicitation process cannot be relied upon, because the former program director misrepresented key aspects of the process, which also lacked adequate controls and proper documentation,” reads the opening stanza of the controller’s assessment.
The Office of the City Administrator, which oversees the challenge grant program, “should reevaluate the applications received for the 2023 grant cycle to ensure that all applicants receive a fair opportunity … ”
Critically, the report alleges that a purported three-person scoring panel had no third person — and that former Challenge Grant director Lanita Henriquez may have “fabricated” the third set of scores.
The audit comes on the heels of District Attorney Brooke Jenkins filing multiple felony charges against Henriquez, as well as longtime city consultant, businessman and former mayoral staffer Dwayne Jones, on Aug. 29.
Among myriad felonies, Henriquez is charged with accepting bribes from Jones and, in return, directing some 23 contracts to Jones-controlled entities between 2016 and 2020. Henriquez received nearly $33,000 from Jones-controlled entities and her “family members and close associates” allegedly pocketed 48 checks for almost $157,000.
Both Henriquez and Jones have entered pleas of not guilty, according to the District Attorney’s office.
The Community Challenge Grant Program formerly administered by Henriquez was ratified by city voters in 1990 to provide funding to community groups, nonprofits and others to make “physical improvements to their neighborhoods.” It also administers grants for the Public Utilities Commission and Planning Department.
While Henriquez claimed that her scoring panels were composed of three members, the controller could only find two; the person who had been represented as the third panelist denied that he participated in this process. And one of those two panelists who did participate turned out to work for a Jones-controlled entity — and should’ve been disqualified from serving in this position, due to a glaring conflict of interest. As such, today’s report concludes that Henriquez “undermined the integrity of the solicitation process.”
Bewilderingly, the short-handed panel apparently only reviewed 26 of the 28 applications. And yet, Henriquez’s submitted 28 score sheets — all of which show show three scores, not two.
“It appears that many of the recorded scores are invalid either because they came from a panelist who had a conflict of interest that should have disqualified their participation, or because the scores were fabricated,” reads the report. “Given that there is no evidence indicating that a third panelist participated, it is possible that the scores attributed to this panelist were fabricated by Henriquez.”
The controller also documented an overall lack of transparency, random reductions of scores without explanation and, in one instance, a forged letter of support from the Housing Authority in an application for a Jones-controlled entity.
Today’s report concludes with recommendations: Select new panelists — presumably three of them, with none working under a conflict of interest; devise written procedures to adequately document solicitation procedures; and create standardized confidentiality and conflict-of-interest forms that staff and panelists sign.
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Good, clean house – many more still yet to be discovered I’m sure
I am not suprised.The crooks and morons in control steal parking for rent a crap bikes. The moronic MTA is out to destroy businesses. The crooks in SF do whatever they like.These people are guilty.Which crooks appointed them???