In an indicator of just how many fingers disgraced permit expediter, contractor and confessed federal criminal Walter Wong had in how many San Francisco pies, a settlement with him ratified […]
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Posted inGovernment
No settlement can undo the damage Walter Wong did to this city — and is still doing
There are so many funny stories about San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection. But not funny-ha-ha. Here’s one. In 2013, a city politico couldn’t help but notice that the contractor […]
Posted inGovernment
Walter Wong, notorious permit expediter and central figure in city’s corruption scandal, reaches settlement
Walter Wong has agreed to pay the city $1.7M based on 10 tainted contracts he received. But, more significantly, the city’s most notorious permit expediter has agreed to get out of the game — under penalty of law.
Posted inGovernment
Mohammed Nuru investigation: Public Works awarded $10.5M worth of contracts with ‘no discernible selection process’ — two went to Walter Wong’s companies
Report: Mayor Ed Lee in 2011 granted Mohammed Nuru oversight of himself. Over the course of two-and-a-half years, San Francisco Public Works signed some $10.5 million in contracts using “no […]
Posted inToday's Mission
Feds level charges against Walter Wong in latest salvo of ongoing Mohammed Nuru probe
The strange and terrible saga of Mohammed Nuru continued to unfold today, as Department of Justice and FBI officials announced charges against longtime city permit expediter and contractor Walter Wong. […]
Posted inMobile
Mohammed Nuru investigation: City Attorney fires off 14 subpoenas — Chinese billionaire developer Zhang Li and permit expediter Walter Wong targeted
In the latest salvo stemming from the FBI’s arrest of ex-Public Works boss Mohammed Nuru, City Attorney Dennis Herrera today disseminated 14 subpoenas. They target entities tied to the stalled […]
Posted inToday's Mission
Mohammed Nuru investigation: Alleged ‘CONTRACTOR 1’ worked out of building owned by ‘CONTRACTOR 2’ — Walter Wong
A report from NBC Bay Area this morning identified the city contractor who allegedly bribed Public Works boss Mohammed Nuru with a tractor and did cheap or free work on […]
Posted inGovernment
Permit irregularities abound on properties of Angus McCarthy, president of Department of Building Inspection’s commission
Because this is San Francisco, this story starts with a party. It was May, 2015, and Mayor Ed Lee had just turned 63. The city’s Residential Builders Association, a politically […]
Posted inHousing
Developments in Development: ‘monster homes’ and a more visible Mayan community
Beware! According to Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, “monster homes” are encroaching Dolores Heights. Hide the kids!
Posted inGovernment
Scathing report on Dept. of Building Inspection faults years of toxic leadership, broken systems
The office of the Controller today released the seventh of nine eventual reports on city dysfunction and corruption — and, this time, it was the Department of Building Inspection’s turn in […]
Posted inGovernment
Sources: Naomi Kelly comped for $865 NYC hotel bill by Recology, along with Mohammed Nuru
Multiple sources have informed Mission Local that the “very senior San Francisco city official” comped along with ex-Public Works boss Mohammed Nuru for two New York City hotel rooms, each […]
Posted inGovernment
Garbage odyssey: San Francisco’s bizarre, costly quest for the perfect trash can
Here was the plan being described to him, as far as Supervisor Matt Haney could parse it: In late 2018, San Francisco had embarked on a quest to design its […]
Posted inHousing
‘Everything about this building was done wrong’: Inspector who approved structure with a score of illegal units has resigned
Update, June 14: Mission Local has learned that longtime senior inspector Bernie Curran, presently on suspension for receiving a $180,000 “loan” from a developer and initially failing to report it, […]
Posted inGovernment
The state of San Francisco corruption
It’s the Ides of March, 2021, and this is the state of corruption in San Francisco
Posted inFeatured
Building department director tasked with reforming antiquated permitting process quits abruptly
In a blow for those hoping to streamline, modernize and cleanse the Department of Building Inspection’s byzantine and hidebound permitting process, the director hired to oversee this move has abruptly […]