Bevan Dufty Says Newsom Didn't Influence His Vote For Ed Lee. Really?

San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Do I Look Nefarious?

​Supervisor Bevan Dufty isn't denying that he went right into Mayor Gavin Newsom's office last night after calling a 20 minute recess as the debate over who would be the interim mayor hit dramatic heights.

What he is denying is that any sort of scandalous deal took place that influenced his last minute vote for City Administrator Ed Lee -- Newsom's ally.

Dufty explained how he spoke to Newsom on a conference call with Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, the other apparent swing vote in the match, to ask him his opinion on the two rivaling candidates, Lee and Sheriff Michael Hennessey.

"He was supportive of Sheriff Hennessey, but he expressed why he felt Lee would be outstanding," Dufty said.

There was nothing nefarious about what happened in Room 200 during those 20 minutes, Dufty says. He didn't ask the mayor for his endorsement, nor did they discuss Dufty's mayoral campaign.

"Why shouldn't I talk to the mayor?" Dufty said.

He brushed off accusations by progressive supervisors that he had orchestrated a back room deal with the mayor.

"They should look in the mirror," Dufty said.

And actually, Dufty did stick by his original statement which he made at the start of Tuesday's debate -- he would vote for one of the two candidates in the event of a deadlock.

Dufty's logic was simple. When he saw there could easily be six votes in favor of Lee, Newsom's pick for mayor, he jumped on the opportunity to get this process off the ground.

After all, Dufty has no time to waste; he has a mayoral campaign to tend to.

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