Planner Craig Nikitas, Named in Porn Scandal, Gets Promotion

​The San Francisco Planning Department today confirmed to SF Weekly that Craig Nikitas -- who acknowledged that department head John Rahaim has moved to dismiss him due to his entanglement in the Planning Department Porn Scandal -- is now the city's Acting Zoning Administrator.

It's a position the veteran Nikitas has held before -- but never in circumstances so odd as this. An allegedly longstanding Planning Department practice of sending racy e-mails around the office hit a snag in December when an unhappy female worker filed a whistleblower complaint. That led to Rahaim earlier this month officially filling out paperwork recommending the firing of four planners involved in sending or receiving the e-mails -- most notably influential zoning administrator Larry Badiner. Multiple sources confirmed to SF Weekly that Badiner tearfully boxed up his belongings along with his wife and left the office; he is listed as being "on vacation." Nikitas also confirmed to SF Weekly that he was one of the planners Rahaim had moved to strike.

So it's a bit odd that, with the departure of Badiner, Nikitas has now assumed the mantle of zoning administrator. If only temporarily, he's gotten a promotion out of this scandal, even while being ensared in it.

An e-mail containing this image triggered the Planning Department's porn scandal

​Several calls to Nikitas were not returned -- though, as acting zoning administrator, he should be at today's Planning Commission meeting today at 1:30. "It's going to be one interesting meeting," said commissioner Mike Antonini with a sigh.

Finally, a call to planner Cecilia Jaroslawsky -- whom multiple sources told SF Weekly was one of the planners Rahaim moved to fire -- reveals a message stating "I am no longer with the planning department."

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