Politics Report: The Audit That Fell In An Empty Forest

By Andrew Keatts, the Voice of San Diego

July 24, 2021

Last year, as years of unanswered questions on the city’s acquisition of 101 Ash St. developed into a full-blown scandal, former Mayor Kevin Faulconer – whose administration designed the maneuver – had the benefit of not running for office. Mayor Todd Gloria and City Attorney Mara Elliott weren’t so lucky, and their roles in the city’s deal for the downtown high-rise became major issues in their campaigns. Now, though, Faulconer is 53 days from appearing on the ballot as a candidate to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom if voters recall him, and a scathing audit not only criticizes the deal itself, but also spotlights the decision by Faulconer and his top aides to stonewall the investigators tasked with looking into the disaster. "Overall, we found that a serious lack of policies and oversight caused the city to miss or skip key steps in the acquisition process."

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