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Disgraced San Francisco human rights boss Sheryl Davis has broken her silence after being arrested on 17 felony charges — with a cryptic Instagram post.
Davis posted on her stories on Tuesday awkwardly begging for support as she faces a raft of charges related to squandering taxpayer funds intended to help the city’s black community.
The post, which came not long after she was released from jail on bond, included an unfinished pastel portrait with text reading: “Where are my encouraging and supportive sisters?”
Davis was arrested Monday on 17 felony and two misdemeanor charges — including perjury and misuse of public funds — for allegedly bilking taxpayers while she was director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.
According to prosecutors, Davis worked with her longtime partner James Spingola to skim money from the Dream Keeper Initiative — created to aid the city’s black communities after George Floyd’s death — to pay for parties, personal projects and family expenses.
She was allegedly “heavily involved” in more than $3 million in contracts towards Collective Impact, Spingola’s nonprofit — even overriding city evaluators who assigned the firm a low score.
The two lived together for years and shared bank accounts, according to prosectors.
Davis allegedly dipped into Dream Keeper funds to pay for upgraded flights, wine tastings, concerts, tables and admissions at VIP events in Beverly Hills, Martha’s Vineyard and New York City — and “multiple PR firms” to promote her children’s book and other personal projects.
Davis’ son was paid $140,000 through a connected nonprofit, prosecutors said, and Davis allegedly used city money to pay for his UCLA tuition.
Spingola is charged with four felony counts of aiding and abetting Davis’ alleged actions. Davis’ Instagram artwork appears tied to a project called Little Girl Revival.
The disgraced San Francisco department head described the project to podcaster Staci Speaks Hope as part of her journey from “burnout to breakthrough.”
Davis resigned from her $350,000-year gig as director of the Human Rights Commission in September 2024 amid corruption allegations.
“I retired — resigned, from a job i had been in for years last year and really felt like I had lost my purpose .. i was just devastated, I spent time in deep thought and in deep pain,” Davis said in July 2025.
Davis is expected to appear in court Thursday.
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