SF corruption case: Mayor Breed's 2015 Pride parade float raising new questions

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's mayor is facing new reports that one of the men accused in the San Francisco corruption scandal may have helped pay for a float on the then-supervisor's behalf.

The mayor is now facing reports that Nick Bovis, the owner of Lefty O'Doul's may have paid for her float in the 2015 Pride Parade. So far there are a lot more questions about this issue than answers.

The Pride Parade is one of the city's signature events.

Now there are reports that Bovis, who was arrested in the recent federal investigation into bribery, was billed $1,250 for Breed's float in the Pride Parade in 2015 when she was still a supervisor.

The mayor's office is saying at this point there is no indication that Bovis ever paid the money, and that even if he did the money never went to benefit the mayor, instead it was used to promote the Pride event.

The mayor’s office said "taking part in the Pride Parade is a governmental purpose, so any requests for funds to help pay for participation in the parade would have been subject to what are known as behested payment rules, a standard process for donations for events like these. The amount suggested on this invoice would be under the behested payment reporting threshold in place at the time."

Now Supervisor Matt Haney is asking the City Attorney and Ethics Commission to investigate.

"I think in order to restore the public trust and in order to make sure that the public knows that officials here are acting with integrity, are following the law we have to have a full public airing and a full investigation and the results should be shared with the public," said Haney.

San Francisco press agent Lee Houskeeper acknowledged that he sent a note to Bovis about the payment, but never received a response. He says he doesn't know if Bovis ever paid any money. As for the mayor he says she takes ethics very seriously, saying "find her fastidious about these things."

We've reached out to the City Attorney's Office and the Controller’s Office, both of which are looking into any ethical violations in the city tied to the ongoing federal investigations.

Both offices say they are not commenting whether they're looking into these reports of a donation for a float.