Run, Ed, Run: Rose Pak Accused of Illegal Campaigning

By Erin Sherbert Fri., Jul. 29 2011 at 8:00 AM

Caroline Chen

How could you say 'no' to this face?

Mayor Ed Lee has not yet declared his candidacy for mayor, and already he's being connected to crooked campaigning.

As the Chron reports today, Lee's dining buddy and Chinatown guru, Rose Pak, has sent the Run, Ed, Run campaign further down an ethics hole with her questionable antics and what some feel is unsavory politicking. According to the Chron, Recology employees have been helping Pak pressure Lee into running for a full four-year term. Specifically, employees helped gather signatures and circulated a petition in the company's workplace, collecting 86 signatures.

What's problematic about this is that Recology recently scored a $112 million garbage contract with the city -- which means it's banned from giving to campaigns.

While Recology officials acknowledge their "error," Pak denied ever discussing anything with Recology, and said she had no clue that the company had a new city contract.

Although the Run, Ed, Run campaign will say no laws were technically broken since Lee is not yet a candidate, it has fueled the frontrunners, who are already freaked out by Lee entering the race.

Five candidates -- Supervisor David Chiu, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, state Senator Leland Yee, Joanna Reese, and former Supervisor Michela-Alioto Pier -- have called for an investigation into the Progress for All group, which is behind the Run, Ed, Run campaign.

"These specific revelations show that Progress for All has been engaged in an unethical and possibly illegal coordinated shakedown," Chiu told the Chron.

Lee is expected to announce his candidacy when he returns from vacation in Washington state.

And as Ricky Ricardo would say, he'll have some 'splainin to do.

Follow us on Twitter at @TheSnitchSF and @SFWeekly

Tags:

City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Joanna Rees, Mayor Ed Lee, Michela Alioto-Pier, Progress for All, Recology, Rose Pak, State Seantor Leland Yee, Supervisor David Chiu

We Recommend

Sales

To the asian community: do you reallt want Rose Pak as your face? Yukiepoohs.

njudah

Ed Lee is seriously mistaken if he thinks he gets in the race and the existing candidates automatically quit or defer to him. They have been working very hard while Lee has been doing his temp job, and also while shady campaigning has been going on. Is it no surprise that Recology would engage in such tactics at a time when they are putting up campaign style ads on TV and online to keep their 30s-era charter amendment that gives them a no-compete contract for millions of taxpayer dollars?

This is a chance for the Weekly to shine. While the Chron is off politicking (guardian style) for Lee, and while the Guardian is dead in the water, the Weekly could be the one that cracks the case!

Seej

Chron broke the story...

quahog

Have you not read their ass-kissing series on Rose Pak this week? Have you not seen the sleaze they've been sliming Yee with?

The SF Weekly is no less biased than the Chron. Both are clearly committed to furthering Willie Brown's agenda for San Francisco. Today's article is a very weak attempt to give the appearance of impartialilty. Note that SF Weekly didn't add a thing to the Chron story, just regurgitated bits of it.

Rather than shining, SF Weekly has a very distinct stench about it regarding this campaign.