Under Pressure, Calif. Charity Names Donors
October 12, 2006 | Read Time: 1 minute
A nonprofit group founded by staff members of San Francisco’s mayor, Gavin Newsom, has released a list of its donors after initially refusing to do so, reports The San Francisco Chronicle.
SF Connect, a spin-off of a government program to fight homelessness, had promised in August that all donations would be made public. But it then disclosed only the names of people who had given their permission to do so.
Because the charity is so closely linked to Mr. Newsom—his political backers and appointees have donated money to it—local politicians and watchdog groups expressed concern that the charity could have undue influence on an elected official.
The mayor has asked that SF Connect return checks to all donors who refuse to have their names disclosed. At least one $25,000 donation has been refused for that reason. So far, the organization has raised just over $300,000.
