San Francisco District Attorney under fire for possible nepotism in hiring

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins is accused of nepotism after secretly promoting a close friend to her chief of staff, despite the fact that she herself is trained as a psychiatric nurse, has no legal experience and works a second job.

Monifa Willis, who also works as an assistant professor of nursing at the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, where she reportedly earns a salary of $100,000, was originally hired by the Attorney General's Office in 2022 to lead the agency's Victim Assistance Division. She began her new position in March.

The appointment has raised questions about the hiring of a friend for a prominent position in a large office, which pays about $289,000 a year.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Jenkins said she was proud to have Willis as her chief of staff and said her hiring was not a conflict of interest. It is the first time in the office's history that the position has been filled by someone who is not a lawyer.

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San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

“As a registered psychiatric and mental health nurse, Monifa brings an unparalleled wealth of experience and expertise in providing trauma-informed care to crime victims and people impacted by the criminal justice system,” Jenkins said. “In her role as Chief of Staff, Monifa oversees the Victim Services Division, Policy Team, Grants, Special Projects and Programs.”

Willis will also launch new programs and initiatives focused on crime prevention and intervention, Jenkins said.

Willis became a registered nurse and became certified as a psychiatric nurse after earning her master's degree from UCSF in 2014, according to her biography on the UCSF website.

Former prosecutor Ryan Khojasteh, who is seeking to replace his former boss Jenkins, said Willis' hiring was based on nepotism, made more difficult by the fact that she is not licensed to practice law.

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Monifa Willis, chief of staff of the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, was promoted by District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, a close friend. (KTVU)

“She's not qualified to be the number two guy in a criminal law firm,” he told Fox News Digital. “It's actually beyond me how Jenkins thought that was even remotely a good idea.”

Jenkins' office said the chief of staff position is at-will and does not require a law degree, and Willis meets the qualifications for the position.

The position of Chief of Staff requires four years of leadership experience in a supervisory role in a legal, legislative or clinical-social setting, depending on the job description. In addition, the Chief of Staff is not responsible for supervising prosecutors; this is handled by the Assistant District Attorney.

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Monifa Willis, a nursing professor, was promoted to chief of staff by San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, leading to allegations of nepotism. (KTVU; Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Jenkins and Willis have known each other since high school, where they were track and field teammates, according to a 2022 report from Mission Local. The two have gone out to eat together, rented a car, attended a football game and visited a waxing salon, according to public Venmo accounts from 2021, The San Francisco Standard reported.

Since becoming Jenkins' chief of staff, Willis has continued to work as a professor at UCSF.

Employees of the district attorney's office are not permitted to hold outside jobs that would regularly distract them from their job duties, according to a district attorney's policy. When she was appointed head of the victim assistance division, Willis submitted a form for outside employment, the district attorney's office told Fox News Digital.

Her application for a second job was granted verbally by the department.

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District Attorney Brooke Jenkins speaks during the opening of Domestic Violence Awareness Month at San Francisco City Hall on October 24, 2023. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“She agreed to a change in her course times, but did not immediately submit an updated secondary employment form. She submitted an updated secondary employment form on 25.07.2024, as soon as it became aware of this oversight,” the public prosecutor’s office said.

Willis' part-time job at UCSF was not a problem, the agency said.

“She teaches one class on Wednesday evenings during the fall, winter and spring semesters at UCSF,” the prosecutor said. “She does not teach during the summer. Her teaching obligations do not interfere with her ability to perform her duties at the prosecutor's office.”

Lexa Grayner worked under Jenkins before moving to the Bay Area to join the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

“This is just another incident that confirms what we've always known about Brooke Jenkins,” Grayner told Fox News Digital. “She is not someone we can trust. She is making decisions for her own political career and risking prosecution in San Francisco.”

Jenkins' office did not respond to requests for comment on Grayner's departure.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins speaks at a press conference at the San Francisco Police Department on April 13, 2023, as Mayor London Breed and Police Chief William Scott listen. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Willis' part-time job as a college professor also raised questions about her availability. Fox News Digital contacted Willis.

The San Francisco Ethics Commission, which is responsible for administering and enforcing ethical standards across all city agencies, declined to comment on the matter.

Jenkins was appointed district attorney in 2022 by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, a position once held by Vice President Kamala Harris. She had previously unseated Chesa Boudin, for whom she had actively campaigned, and was elected in her own right months later.

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After taking office, Jenkins fired several employees, including Khojasteh. During Jenkins' tenure, several people left the prosecutor's office, which was in a destabilized state, Khojasteh said.

The prosecutor's office did not respond to requests for comment.

“Jenkins rewarded her friends and allies at the expense of a well-run and functioning office,” Khojasteh said.