Record
Combating the Opioid Crisis
When the opioid industry hooked a generation of San Franciscans on powerful medications, David Chiu led a groundbreaking lawsuit against Big Pharma and won. His victory against Walgreens was the first of its kind nationwide, which alongside other settlements, brought home $350 million to support local substance use recovery efforts.
Rooting Out Corruption
When public officials abuse their positions of power, David Chiu has held them accountable for violating the public trust. And after contractors used bribes to win city contracts and grants, he banned them from city business so it won’t happen again.
Saving Laguna Honda
When the federal government ordered California’s largest skilled nursing facility to close and patients died after being transferred, David Chiu brought a lawsuit to protect lives and keep the hospital open. The legal efforts, alongside the work of health professionals, led to the Medicaid re-certification of Laguna Honda Hospital.
Protecting Tenants
When landlords profited from renting dangerous properties, David Chiu sued to protect the safety of renters. From Ingleside landlords who crammed families into commercial and storage units, to a Bernal Heights landlord who created significant fire risks, to Tenderloin and Chinatown SRO owners who ignored dozens of health and safety violations, Chiu has stood up for tenants time after time.
Protecting Workers
David Chiu was the first City Attorney in the state to establish a Worker Protection Team to investigate companies violating labor and employment laws. During his tenure, Chiu secured multi-million dollar settlements from Doordash and Instacart benefitting thousands of workers for unpaid health care and sick leave; restaurants paid hundreds of employees for illegally denied benefits; and Chiu’s office has led groundbreaking litigation against Uber and Lyft for misclassifying drivers.
Protecting Consumers
At a time when consumer fraud is on the rise, David Chiu cracked down on companies selling illegal tobacco products online, defrauding small businesses, scamming gift card purchasers, illegally towing cars, and providing fraudulent immigrant legal services.
Protecting the Environment
Chiu has led a groundbreaking lawsuit to hold the world’s largest fossil fuel companies responsible for the City’s enormous infrastructure costs to address sea level rise, as well as brought actions against companies polluting in the Bayview.
Protecting Reproductive and Civil Rights
When Roe vs. Wade was overturned, David Chiu teamed up with the Bar Association of San Francisco to launch the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights, a network of 70 law firms providing pro bono services to people seeking and providing abortions. Chiu successfully defended San Francisco’s policy to allow noncitizen parents to vote in school board elections. At the U.S. Supreme Court, his office successfully challenged a Trump-era policy that subjected immigrants seeking citizenship to a xenophobic “wealth test.”
Addressing Public Safety
David Chiu has defended San Francisco’s ability to address homeless encampments and keep streets safe and accessible. Chiu launched a Gun Violence Restraining Order program to remove firearms from individuals who endanger themselves or others. As part of the new CARE Court, Chiu increased staffing to petition the Court to provide support and care for people with mental health and substance abuse disorders.
More on David's Record
For more on David Chiu’s record during his service as a legislator, visit here.
In his next term as City Attorney, David Chiu will continue to hold powerful special interests and City Hall itself accountable to San Franciscans. His time as City Attorney has given him a firsthand look at the bureaucracy and rules that stop us from moving forward. The sheer volume and weight of rules – local, state and federal laws and regulations, built up over decades, even with the best of intentions – has made getting things done in City government extremely difficult.
David Chiu will continue to work with city leaders to accelerate progress on the challenges of the day – from public safety and economic revitalization to homelessness and housing – by cutting red tape and reforming city government to work better for all San Franciscans. This is what it’ll take to get San Francisco back on track.
Re-Elect David Chiu for City Attorney.