San Francisco’s District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has been accused of nepotism for appointing her long-time friend Monifa Willis, a non-lawyer, as chief of staff amid rising concerns over city crime.
Fox News reported that back in March, amid escalating violence in San Francisco, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins appointed Monifa Willis as chief of staff, sparking controversy due to Willis's lack of legal experience.
As a trained psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, Willis has been actively working in the medical field rather than in law, raising questions about her appropriateness for a significant role in the District Attorney’s office.
Brooke Jenkins, who took office in 2022 following the recall of Chesa Boudin, faced immediate scrutiny with her choice of Willis for a position traditionally filled by individuals with extensive legal backgrounds.
Jenkins and Willis, who met during high school and have maintained a close relationship, were frequently seen together at various social events, a fact that has been well-documented. These accusations of corruption are particularly ironic as Vice President Kamala Harris also got her start in San Francisco's DA office thanks to her lover, Mayor Willie Brown.
The significance of their long-standing friendship came under greater scrutiny when reports emerged of Jenkins's staffing choices since her appointment.
Critics argue that her decisions, particularly in appointing Willis to a high-paying role within the DA's office, reflect potential personal gain rather than public interest. Willis's role as chief of staff does not explicitly require a law degree but traditionally, the position has been held by individuals with substantial legal expertise.
The chief of staff in the DA’s office handles responsibilities that include overseeing the Victim Services Division, the policy team, grants, special projects, and programming.
These are critical areas that directly affect the handling of cases and overall justice administration in San Francisco. Ideologically, while Jenkins has defended her decision, stating that Willis’s skills in psychiatric nursing and trauma-informed care are vital for the position, opponents have voiced their concerns.
Ryan Khojasteh, a former staff member removed by Jenkins and currently running against her, described the appointment as "nepotism."
These sentiments are echoed by city residents and several justice advocates who have criticized Jenkins's staffing decisions as ones that jeopardize the functionality of the office.
In defense, Brooke Jenkins insists that the hiring of Willis was purely professional and in no way an act of nepotism.
She emphasized Willis’s qualifications in psychiatric care, saying, "As a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Monifa brings an unparalleled wealth of experience and expertise in providing trauma-informed care to victims of crime and people impacted by the criminal justice system."
While Willis maintains her role as an assistant professor at UCSF, where she teaches one night a week, Jenkins’s office clarified that this commitment does not interfere with her duties at the DA’s office.
Despite these reassurances, the appointment and its circumstances continue to fuel debates over Jenkins’s judgment and the overall integrity of her office management.
As Jenkins’s tenure progresses, the focus remains on how her decisions affect the broader aspects of criminal justice in San Francisco. Lexa Grayner, a local activist, points to a broader pattern of behavior from Jenkins: "This is just one more incident that validates what we’ve known all along about Brooke Jenkins. She is not someone we can trust. She is making decisions for her political career at the jeopardy of criminal justice in San Francisco."