Jackie Fielder, one of San Francisco’s most outspoken progressive supervisors, is no longer planning to resign from office. The update came from her aides Sunday as she addresses “a mental health condition” that led to her hospitalization late last week.
Fielder checked into the hospital on Friday for what her office called an “acute personal health crisis” and notified city officials she intended to take a leave of absence. But now, according to a statement her office shared on social media, she will make a decision about her next steps after she recovers.
“Supervisor Jackie Fielder is currently navigating a mental health condition and needs time and space to recover before making any major decisions,” the statement reads. “She wants to regain stable health so she can thoughtfully and responsibly consider her options.” The statement was signed by three of her aides and offered few details about her condition, asking for privacy as she continues her recovery. The health scare comes as Fielder faces accusations of potential violations that could result in her removal from office if proven true.
It all stems from a city attorney’s investigation into a reported leak, that according to The San Francisco Standard has Fielder’s office in “major turmoil.”
On Thursday, a day before Fielder checked into the hospital, The Voice of San Francisco reported the progressive supervisor was “lying low” over a leaked confidential report from the city attorney’s office regarding plans for a sobering center, where homeless people high on drugs can receive treatment without punishment but face arrest if they decide to leave.
Fielder and Supervisor Connie Chan discussed the memo on Feb. 10, and the news website Mission Local published a story the same day according to The Voice of San Francisco.
A memo obtained by news website Mission Local shows the City Attorney’s Office warned elected officials that the mayor’s proposal for the South of Market area — located near the city’s downtown core — could violate state laws and presents a “very high legal risk.”
The plan passed on a 9-2 vote and Fielder was one of only two supervisors to oppose it.
If Fielder is identified as the person who leaked the memo, she could be in violation of a series of state and local laws — including San Francisco’s Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code and City Charter, as well as California’s Penal and Evidence Codes — that would most likely result in her removal from office, according to The Voice of San Francisco.
However, as it currently stands, the investigation does not appear to have pinpointed Fielder as a culprit.
If the Latina and indigenous Democratic Socialist were to resign, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie would appoint a replacement that would likely just be a placeholder given that District 9, which includes the Mission District, is historically one of the most progressive voting blocs in the city.
In the meantime, District 9 leaders are throwing their support behind Fielder, hoping she returns to office.
“We definitely do not want anyone else, because it’s going to be someone we will not agree with,” Tracy Gallardo Brown, an executive committee member of the Latino Task Force and lifetime Mission District resident told Mission Local.
The Board of Supervisors clerk has not received a formal notice of resignation, the paper reported.
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