Prosecutor Hires Friend with No Experience for High-Paying Role

(DailyVantage.com) – The former San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commissioner who is challenging San Franciso District Attorney Brooke Jenkins in the upcoming election has accused his opponent of nepotism for promoting her longtime friend to be chief of staff.

Former criminal prosecutor Ryan Khojasteh told Fox News that chief of staff Monifa Willis was “not qualified” for the position in part because she is not a licensed attorney.

Willis was initially hired by Jenkins in 2022 to head up victim services when Jenkins replaced former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin after voters removed him in a recall election.

Willis, a psychiatric nurse who also teaches at the UC San Francisco School of Nursing, was praised by Brooke Jenkins at the time for bringing a fresh perspective on how to improve criminal justice in the city.

In March, Jenkins promoted Willis to chief of staff, marking the first time in the District Attorney’s Office’s history that the position was held by someone without a law degree or a license to practice law.

Others have criticized Jenkins for placing Willis in a position that requires legal expertise. Critics have also questioned why such a high-ranking, demanding position would go to someone who already has a job teaching at the School of Nursing.

When Willis served as the head of the District Attorney’s Victim Services Division, she earned $248,000 a year. As chief of staff, her salary jumped to $289,000, according to city records.

This salary is in addition to the over $100,000 a year she earns from UC San Francisco.

Jenkins has defended her decision to tap her friend for chief of staff, arguing that she intentionally chose someone whose expertise was outside of the legal profession.

Jenkins said she wanted someone who could oversee the “non-prosecutorial work” in “a deep way.” She explained that the chief of staff’s role included prison sentencing reform, criminal justice reform, legislative efforts, and community engagement.

Jenkins has known Willis since high school when both were members of the track-and-field team.

Ryan Khojasteh told Fox News that since she took office, Jenkins has driven out several staff members and rewarded her friends and allies, destabilizing the district attorney’s office.