Councilmember Pushes $400K Severance for Resigned Official | San Francisco News

Former Oakland city administrator Jestin Johnson resigned in May after lewd text messages surfaced calling female colleagues derogatory terms — including “kryptonite” and “helluva walk” — prompting the mayor to call his conduct “wholly incompatible” with city values. Now, Councilmember Ken Houston is pushing to pay Johnson $400,000 in severance — despite him resigning and not being contractually entitled — framing it as a business move to avoid future lawsuits. Houston claims Johnson was forced out and that settling now is cheaper than potential legal costs. The mayor’s office, city attorney, and current admin have no involvement, and Houston hasn’t even spoken to Johnson about it. He pulled the proposal from committee but vows to bring it back after the recess — leaving the city in a tense standoff over ethics, money, and accountability. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/d7f791ce94e2aac0