Audit finds San Francisco tax official steered $10M contract to friend

San Francisco's chief assistant treasurer Tajel Shah steered a $10 million contract to manage city business taxes to a technology company led by her friends, according to an audit by the city controller's office. Shah, who left city employment in November after being placed on paid leave, compromised the bidding process by providing unfair advantages to Mechanical Orchard and failing to share information equally with other bidders. The audit confirms reporting by The Standard that prompted the investigation and found Shah's actions created the appearance of a "pay-to-play" system in an office overseeing billions of dollars.