Exclusive | Ex-San Francisco mayor appointed Bloomberg pal to key seat in hopes of landing a job: sources

Ex-San Francisco Mayor London Breed appointed a protégé of Michael Bloomberg to a coveted political seat in the hopes of landing a job through the finance titan’s connections after she was booted by voters — despite being warned it could run afoul of anti-bribery laws, sources tell The Post.

In the final days of her term, Breed appointed Stephen Sherrill — a little-known pal of the former New York City mayor — to a plum seat on the city’s Board of Supervisors that’s considered a launch pad for Democratic stars like Gavin Newsom, who held the same job in the 2000s.

But it wasn’t for his qualifications, rather because the 51-year-old outgoing mayor desperately wanted a job hookup, according to two sources with direct knowledge of Breed’s conversations surrounding the appointment. 

Sources said Breed was frantic about her job prospects after losing her reelection bid to Levi Strauss heir Daniel Lurie and openly told freaked-out advisors — who warned her of legal risks — that she felt she needed to appoint Sherrill to secure a gig through Bloomberg’s connections. 

Breed was about to be cut off from her $490,000-year mayoral compensation packet and was deeply concerned about her income, griping that she wasn’t eligible to collect her pension until age 53 and needed to support family members, the sources said.

“The implication that I would make a decision based on personal employment prospects is not only incorrect, it is offensive and deeply disrespectful to the work I have done and the leadership record I built over many years in public service,” Breed told The Post. 

“I currently run my own company and have active clients, and I have worked consistently since I was twelve years old,” Breed said. “I am highly educated, deeply experienced, and have had no shortage of professional opportunities throughout my career.”

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Breed and the billionaire ex-mayor had a friendly relationship: She endorsed Bloomberg in his failed 2020 White House bid, while Bloomberg donated more than $1 million to her ill-fated 2024 reelection effort.

Bloomberg also funded San Francisco civic programs through his charity, Bloomberg Philanthropies — namely a Mayor’s Office of Innovation that hired Sherrill, the son of wealthy New York hedge funder and Bloomberg donor, Stephen Sherrill, Sr. 

Sherrill was a political unknown whose appointment to the coveted gig — representing San Francisco’s posh Pacific Heights and Marina neighborhoods — shocked City Hall insiders because he had few neighborhood and political ties. 

Sherrill, 39, was a former Republican who had interned in George W. Bush’s administration and only registered as a Democrat in 2023. His father, Stephen Sherrill, was a Bloomberg donor and the younger Sherrill landed a job as an aide in the former New York mayor’s administration after graduating from Yale.

Sherill told The Post his selection was the result of “rigorous vetting, interviews, and community input where I was asked hard questions and tested for my knowledge on policy and district affairs.” 

“I don’t think there was anything about the process that biased any single candidate,” he added. 

Breed’s advisors were reportedly spooked by her references to needing a job as she considered candidates for the political seat and the sources said that some in Breed’s inner circle questioned whether appointing Sherill would be legal. 

Two close advisors planned a confrontation in her City Hall office on Dec. 3, according to both sources. Breed’s former campaign advisor, Conor Johnston, was spotted heading to Breed’s office that day but declined to answer questions about the appointment. 

Breed was infuriated by the confrontation and cancelled her meetings for the remainder of the day, both sources said. 

It’s not clear if Breed’s alleged actions violated any laws, however. Breed was reportedly advised by a lawyer that the personally motivated appointment was legal.

Bloomberg did not respond to a request for comment sent to his philanthropic arm, Bloomberg Philanthropies. 

After leaving office, Breed traveled to Portugal, Italy and Ghana and attended Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter tour. 

In June, she announced she had landed a temporary gig with the Aspen Institute, as a policy and leadership advisor. The Aspen Institute has received funding and partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to host the annual CityLab summit.

Breed’s job hunt has been so widely publicized she earned herself a NY Times profile, in which she complained that the new mayor, Daniel Lurie, is taking credit for her work where San Francisco’s recent glow-up is concerned.