The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to suspend and file administrative charges against the president of a law enforcement oversight panel after a city investigation found he broke the law and misused his position for personal gain.

The 10-0 vote caps months of reporting by the Chronicle into William Palmer, the president of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board, that spurred calls for his removal and an investigation by the city’s anti-corruption czar.

“When you are appointed to serve the public in any position within San Francisco, you must uphold that position with integrity,” said Supervisor Stephen Sherrill. “When you abuse your power, break the trust of the public, you should not be allowed to continue to serve.”

Palmer was appointed to the oversight board by the Board of Supervisors in 2021 based on his experience serving time behind bars. He positioned himself as a voice for incarcerated people.

However, the Chronicle found that he had repeated run-ins with law enforcement during his tenure, as several women accused him of violence and he racked up driving and parking violations. Last December, he invoked his official title when deputies stopped him for driving with expired tags.

In July, he allegedly picked up a woman who was in a mental health crisis off the street, took her to his home, gave her drugs and coerced her into having sex with him, she told the Chronicle. Palmer declined to confirm or deny whether they had used drugs or had sex with the woman but said he was her “life coach.”

Sherrill introduced the 12-count charging document against Palmer this month with support from Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman and Supervisor Alan Wong.

The charges were based on an investigation by Inspector General Alex Shepard that found Palmer violated city law 14 times. Shepard concluded he had improperly used his official position during the December traffic stop and while attempting to see the woman in July after police placed her on an involuntary psychiatric hold at a hospital.

Sherrill had asked Shepard to investigate in response to the Chronicle’s earlier reporting.

Palmer’s removal has become a talking point for Mayor Daniel Lurie, who placed a measure on the November ballot, Proposition F, that would allow the mayor and the Board of Supervisors to remove their appointees to many boards and commissions without cause.

The charges allege that Palmer “committed official misconduct that falls below the standard of decency” and “violated city conflict of interest and governmental ethics laws.”

Palmer’s suspension is expected to go into effect Tuesday. He will have a chance to defend himself at an administrative hearing held by the San Francisco Ethics Commission. The case would then return to the Board of Supervisors for a final vote on his removal.

All but one member of the Board of Supervisors, Chyanne Chen, voted to charge and suspend Palmer. Chen was absent when her colleagues cast their votes.

Palmer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the vote. He previously said he disagreed with the inspector general’s conclusions.

His presidency was due to end at the close of September, and his term is officially over in March, unless the administrative process against him plays out sooner.

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This article originally published at San Francisco official dogged by allegations of impropriety is suspended.