Cheryl Davis, the former chair of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, has pleaded not guilty to 19 counts related to self-dealing and the misuse of taxpayer funds. Her defense attorney, Tony Blass, insists that Davis was seeking assistance from the city rather than acting improperly.
On Thursday, Davis appeared in San Francisco Superior Court in a black blazer paired with pink shoes, supported by friends and her legal team. She entered her not guilty plea concerning charges linked to her leadership of the Dream Keepers Initiative— a $120 million initiative aimed at assisting the city’s Black community that faced controversy in 2024.
“She’s not a fraud, and she’s not concealing anything,” Blass remarked to reporters.
According to Blass, Davis has been cooperative with investigators and had expressed to the city the need for staff to manage the extensive budget of the initiative. “If she’s the one calling for accountability, why would she be profiting from the system?” he questioned.
Davis is being accused of engaging in a “pervasive pattern of self-dealing” during her tenure leading the Dream Keeper Initiative, which was initiated in 2021 as a reaction to the killing of George Floyd by police. Allegations suggest she used her partner James Spingola’s nonprofit organization, Collective Impact, as a means to cover questionable expenses. A prior audit labeled items such as promotional expenses for children’s books and celebrity appearances as “frivolous,” with millions in city funds reportedly directed to this organization.
Additionally, it is alleged that Davis paid Sonya Curry, the mother of Warriors star Stephen Curry, $10,000 for a speaking engagement, as well as compensating artists like Goapele tens of thousands to perform at city events and her children’s book launch.
Davis and Spingola, who are partners in both life and finances, are said to have exercised considerable influence over Collective Impact, which Davis led until she became Human Rights Commission director in 2018.
Moreover, it’s claimed that she lavishly spent city money on extravagant parties, such as $2.1 million on ice rink rentals and associated costs in Philadelphia, $267,000 for gala tickets, and $60,000 for venue rentals at the Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center.
She also allegedly sanctioned a multimillion-dollar grant for another nonprofit, the Homeless Children Network, and paid her son $140,000 for research support.
Prosecutors assert that while directing city funds to Collective Impact, Davis also utilized the organization’s resources for her personal gain. Blass contends that the city was aware of her connection to Collective Impact when appointing her to lead the Human Rights Commission.
“The goal of this agency was to swiftly distribute funds to those in need, and Collective Impact served as the means for that,” Blass explained.
Davis is set to return to court on May 6.
