(Headline USA) San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins is under fire for reportedly hiring an unqualified close friend for a high-paying political role.
In March, Jenkins promoted Monifa Willis—a nursing professor at the University of California, San Francisco—to serve as her chief of staff, even though that position normally requires legal and political experience.
Jenkins initially hired Willis in 2022 to run the district attorney’s Victim Services Division. It was the first time in the agency’s history that the role has been filled by someone without a law degree.
“She was given this position because she knew the DA,” a former Victim Services employee who worked under Willis told the San Francisco Standard, adding that Willis had little knowledge of the law around victims’ rights.
Another former division employee said Willis only wanted to work under Jenkins because of the high salary. As Jenkins’ chief of staff, she was able to pull in an additional $300,000 per year on top of her $100,000 teaching salary.
“Stuff fell through the cracks all the time because she was too busy doing two jobs,” the former employee said. “I’ve seen her [teaching online] classes during work hours.”
Ryan Khojasteh, who is running against Jenkins to be San Francisco’s district attorney, slammed the hiring decision as blatant “nepotism.”
He added, “Nepotism erodes public trust. As San Franciscans, we deserve better from our District Attorney’s Office. My administration will not tolerate such abuses of office — assignments will be based on merit, experience, and competence.”
In a statement, Jenkins’ office denied that Willis was wrongly elevated.
“I am proud to have Monifa Willis serve as my chief of staff,” Jenkins said. “I have had the honor and privilege of knowing Monifa for years and am excited to work with her in this capacity.”
