San Francisco Hired him as a Building Inspector. Then he Inspected his own Home
A month after Van Zeng became a San Francisco city building inspector in March 2020, he conducted an inspection at his own property signing off on questionable building approvals. The first of a series of such actions which The San Francisco Standard uncovered through an extensive review of property filings, building inspection reports and public records, including permits he granted for family members and close acquaintances.
John Pelissero, a senior scholar at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, said the inspections approved by Van Zeng pose an “obvious conflict of interest."
“Even if they make a decision by the book and they follow all of the proper laws or policies that are in place, it looks bad,” Pelissero said.
John Pelissero, senior scholar, government ethics, quoted by The San Francisco Standard.