The former chief executive of the SF human rights commission is accused of corruption
The former head of San Francisco’s civil rights commission funneled public money into organizations he controlled and, at times, into his own pocket as part of a years-long scheme that cost the city millions, district attorneys announced this week.
Sheryl Davis, who led the commission from 2016 to 2024, is accused of misappropriating millions of dollars Collective Impactthe San Francisco-based nonprofit he previously served as executive director of, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. Davis was found to have retained financial obligations to the joint venture after he left the commission.
James Spingola, who was the nonprofit’s executive director from 2019 to 2025, was also charged with four counts of helping to prevent Davis’ conflict of interest in government contracts, prosecutors said. Investigators say he knew that Davis had a financial hand in the organization and that he continued to control the finances.
The charges were announced following an 18-month investigation during which authorities served more than 50 search warrants.
“These are not typical charges,” San Francisco Dist. He said. Brooke Jenkins said in a press conference. “Our investigation revealed that Davis was heavily involved in the decision-making process regarding the distribution of these funds from the beginning”
The charges include conflict of interest in government contracts, misuse of public funds, lying and accepting illegal gifts, prosecutors said.
Collective Impact received about $8.5 million in city grants while Spinkola was executive director between 2021 and 2024 through the city’s Dream Keeper Initiative, a program launched in 2021 to invest tens of millions of dollars annually in Black communities, according to court documents. A large part of those funds were distributed through grants approved by the human rights commission.
Jenkins says Davis regularly signed on to her bank accounts, used directed funds, and used a joint nonprofit to cover personal expenses.
The affidavit describes what prosecutors called a “pervasive pattern of self-dealing,” including allegations that Davis steered city contracts to a concerted effect while sharing funds with Spinola. The two reportedly lived together, maintained joint bank accounts, and paid for joint expenses such as flights and hotel stays.
Prosecutors also alleged that another nonprofit, the Homeless Children’s Network, paid Davis’ son nearly $140,000 for direct contract work that included “five slide presentations for a panel that Davis was chairing,” Jenkins said.
At the same time he approved more than $3.5 million in federal contracts. That money was deposited into a bank account Davis jointly controlled, according to court documents.
Collective Impact allegedly paid for or on behalf of her son more than $45,000 in down payment, rent payments and school tuition, according to Jenkins.
In addition, Davis is accused of using city funds for personal branding and public relations services, failing to disclose gifts, and facilitating the purchase of his book by the San Francisco Public Library, which allegedly netted him more than $5,000, according to court documents.
The city’s human rights commission declined to comment to The Times on the matter.
An email sent to the Collective Impacts email for information returned an automated response to the Times, which read “I am no longer with the organization, but my heart and soul are with this organization and my community forever.” Then it gave us another email address. A message to that email was not returned Thursday.
Davis and Spinhola were arrested on Monday.
If convicted, Davis could face two to four years in prison and be barred from holding public office in California.
