讀後心得

According to a report by the "Messenger," Sheng Tao has been withholding tens of thousands of dollars owed to her campaign manager Kasky since being elected mayor. Although the law prohibits the use of public funds to finance campaigns, her former chief of staff Hansen stated that Sheng Tao had considered this practice. Kasky later became a municipal employee but denied knowledge of this plan, emphasizing that the owed amount has not been repaid. New files reveal Sheng Tao's governing actions, including conversations with a businessman accused of bribery. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty and could face imprisonment if convicted. Sheng Tao's debts are not directly related to the corruption case, but they reflect her efforts to address the residual issues from the election. Hansen confirmed that Sheng Tao planned to deduct funds from the city budget to pay Kasky, but emphasized that this action was not illegal.

According to reports, Sheng Tao has been behind on payments of tens of thousands of dollars to her campaign manager, who helped her successfully run for office, nearly six months after being elected and taking office. State law has long prohibited politicians from using public funds to support campaign activities, but newly disclosed records show that Sheng Tao's former chief of staff said she had considered this option. The campaign manager, who is owed money by Sheng Tao, eventually became a municipal employee, but she denied being aware of any plan to use public funds to repay the debt in a recent statement, emphasizing that the debt remains unpaid. This news emerged from a private conversation inadvertently revealed by the former chief of staff, which was included in last year's investigation documents by federal prosecutors. Sheng Tao was removed from office by voters last November and faces charges along with her romantic partner involving political corruption and monetary bribery related to profits from municipal contracts. The newly released documents help piece together the context of Sheng Tao's early administration, including her conversations with those accused of bribery and municipal officials. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty, and if convicted, they could face federal imprisonment. Although Sheng Tao's debt to her campaign manager is not directly linked to the federal corruption case, it reveals that the new mayor is struggling to address issues from the previous year's election, and it shows she seems to be blurring the lines between political alliances and municipal management.

In a text message from June 29, 2023, the chief of staff discussed paying for an "executive coach" for Sheng Tao with a political consultant. When the consultant suggested using city funds, the chief of staff pointed out that the budget for the mayor's office was tight, and Sheng Tao wanted to use most of the funds to repay her debt. The campaign manager played a crucial role in the 2022 election. Shortly after the text message exchange, she was hired as the director of the climate collaboration department in the mayor's office, with a term from October 2023 to December 2024. Financial records from the 2022 election reveal that Sheng Tao still owes her $58,488 in consulting fees, which was initially close to $80,000. The campaign manager confirmed the amount owed in a statement responding to written questions but denied knowledge of the former chief of staff's text message content. Additionally, the chief of staff recently confirmed that Sheng Tao wanted to allocate $50,000 from city funds to pay the campaign manager's consulting fees and noted her disagreement with this approach but emphasized that it was not illegal, and the campaign manager had never been formally hired as a consultant.

• Sheng Tao owes tens of thousands to her campaign manager.
• State law prohibits the use of public funds to support campaigns.
• Newly disclosed records reveal past administrative background.
• The campaign manager was once employed by the municipal office.
• Sheng Tao hopes to use city funds to repay her debt.