SAN FRANCISCO
Lee and Liz Heidhues 1.8.2024
It was four years ago today that progressive Chesa Boudin was sworn in by Mayor London Breed as San Francisco District Attorney. In a joyous ceremony at Herbst Auditorium across the street from City Hall. Little did we realize that even as Chesa was being sworn in, the knives were being sharpened to bring him down. In a vicious political lynching funded with over 7M in reactionary venture capital money 29 months later.
Mayor London Breed, who smiled her way through the evening of January 8, 2020, was already scheming on how to rid herself of this dedicated intellectual justice reformer. One of the chief myrmidons in this political coup d’etat is the powerful and well funded San Francisco Police Officers Association.
We fast forward to January 2024 and the POA is now engaging in THE BIG LIE. The same POA which spent over 700K in 2019 attacking, vilifying and smearing then candidate Boudin.
“After being quiet for years, and sitting out a high-profile recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin in 2022, San Francisco’s police union is back on the political stage.”
That is the statement published in Michael Moritz’ San Francisco Standard earlier today in an article titled, “Police Union Wades Back Into San Francisco Politics After Years of Sitting on the Sidelines.”
The whole notion that the SF POA sat out the political lynching of Chesa Boudin is absurd on its face. It is common knowledge on the street that the SFPD engaged in a work slowdown when Chesa was in office. By failing to pursue wrong-doers, the SFPD, whose members bankroll the POA, led the false narrative that crime was running rampant in San Francisco.
The truth is the SF POA has never exited the political stage.
Moritz is a well known venture capitalist who opposed Chesa Boudin’s policies and is outspoken in his law and order rhetoric. Rhetoric which he backs up politically with his deep pockets. Supporting law and order candidates and ballot measures.
The SF POA never sat out Chesa’s Recall. The SF POA was a prime instigator and participant in Chesa’s political demise. An obscene act of political evil which was promoted and led by Mayor London Breed.
The SF POA has been handsomely rewarded for its treachery. The current DA Brooke Jenkins, named Chesa’s successor by Mayor Breed, has effectively ceased all prosecutions of dirty cops and is effectively doing their bidding.
Top photo: DA Chesa Boudin greets a crush of his enthusiastic supporters the evening of his inaugural at Herbst Theater in San Francisco – January 8, 2020.
Lee's Perspective 