'We dated for a brief time': Mayor Breed details relationship with Nuru

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Updated 12:09 pm PST, Friday, February 14, 2020

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San Francisco mayor London Breed speaks to reporters after meeting with first responders during an emergency preparedness meeting on July 12, 2018 in San Francisco, California. A day after she was sworn in as the first black woman to be elected mayor of San Francisco, London Breed met with first responders to discuss emergency preparedness in San Francisco. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In a first-person post titled "Transparency and Accountability" and shared on Medium on Friday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed opened up about her relationship with Mohammed Nuru, the former director of San Francisco Public Works who resigned from his job after being charged with public corruption. Breed also disclosed a “gift” of approximately $5,600 from Nuru.

The 45th mayor of the City and County of San Francisco shared that she was "writing in the spirit of transparency" and to "dispel some unfortunate rumors that have already begun to circulate."

Breed said that she has known Nuru for more than 20 years and called him "a close personal friend."

"We dated for a brief time, two decades ago, long before I ever ran for office," wrote Breed, who was sworn in as mayor in July 2018. "Nevertheless, he, and his now-adult daughters, have remained close friends for all those years."

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After the news broke, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that supervisor Hillary Ronen was calling for Breed's resignation over the undisclosed gift.

Nuru was arrested along with Lefty O'Doul's owner Nick Bovis on Jan. 21 and was charged with public corruption for allegedly trying to steer public contracts and for taking pricey gifts. He has resigned his post as director of public works.

Federal prosecutors have said the men schemed in 2018 to bribe a San Francisco airport commissioner for prime restaurant space at San Francisco International Airport. The commissioner did not take the $5,000 bribe. Both are free on $2 million bail.

Breed said the news shocked her and wrote that she never asked Nuru "to do anything improper, and he never asked me to do anything improper."

She went on: "I was not aware of the schemes alleged by the FBI until shortly before they became public, and when I was informed, I immediately reported the information to our City Attorney."

The post continues at length, and Breed wrote about a time when her personal car broke down and Nuru, acting as friend, "took it to a private auto mechanic." Breed had planned to sell the car and reimburse Nuru.

"Now, gifts provided 'by an individual with whom the official has a long term, close personal friendship unrelated to the official’s position' are not required to be reported under the Fair Political Practices Commission’s rules," Breed explained. "But since I have not yet been able to sell the car — and given all that has now happened — I have chosen to make this voluntary disclosure."

MORE: Details emerge in FBI’s case against SF Director of Public Works, Lefty O'Doul’s owner

Nuru was a treasured go-to bureaucrat for several mayors, including Breed, and proactively cleaned up the city's notoriously filthy streets before media events.

He oversaw the city's Department of Public Works, which is responsible for cleaning streets, since 2012, and previously served as a deputy in the department.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. 

Amy Graff is a digital editor for SFGATE. Email her news tips at agraff@sfgate.com.