Exposing Political Corruption in San Francisco’s BayviewRandy Shawbyline‚ Mar. 19‚ 2009On March 11, the Los Angeles Times ran a front-page story by reporter Paul Pringle on a political corruption scandal in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point. The story raised questions about James Bryant, a longtime community power broker. In 2007, Bryant worked full-time for MUNI, earning $68,000. But he also received $117,000 as San Francisco President of the A. Phillip Randolph Institute (APRI), a position which his son told the Times was not full-time. APRI even paid Bryant $16,000 in rent for his home in 2007, as Bryant claims that 75% of the home is used for the nonprofit. Bryant also chairs the Political Education Committee for SEIU 1021, which in 2007 reimbursed him about $10,000 for expenses. Bryant’s SEIU connection brought Pringle to the story, as he recently won an award for investigating SEIU’s corrupt former LA president Tyrone Freeman. But Bryant’s use of the nonprofit APRI as a conduit for receiving campaign funds from PG&E, Lennar, and the Willie Brown Administration is the real story here, which also raises questions about Mayor Newsom’s hiring of the former head of APRI to a top position in a citywide jobs agency. All of these shenanigans escaped notice of the San Francisco Chronicle, which instead is trumpeting the renaming of Third Street to honor our former mayor. |