San Francisco business owner Manny Yekutiel announced Thursday he is suspending his campaign for District 8 supervisor.
The decision comes after the San Francisco Standard reported sexual assault allegations against Yekutiel. Supervisor Connie Chan prior to Yekutiel suspending his campaign also called for him to step down.
“After a great deal of reflection, I have made the difficult decision to end my campaign for District 8 supervisor,” Yekutiel said. “I am not admitting to having assaulted anyone and some of the things that are being said about me are fundamentally untrue. But I am deeply sorry for any boundaries that I crossed. I’m going to take this time to work on myself.”
Here’s the rest of Yekutiel’s statement:
“As I said from the very beginning, I’m not a typical candidate. Moving through the machinery of San Francisco’s politics has left me with very little light left in my heart.
This campaign has meant more to me than I can put into words. Over the past months, I have had the privilege of talking with thousands of San Franciscans about the city we love, the challenges we face, and the future we want to build together.
This was never just about winning an election for me. It was about serving a city that has given me so much and bringing people together around the belief that San Francisco can once again take on big challenges with ambition, creativity, and confidence.I am incredibly proud of the campaign we built and of the community that formed around it.
I am especially grateful to all of the block captains, house party hosts, family, friends, staff, volunteers, supporters, and everyone who stood with me. My campaign may be ending, but my work to help build a better San Francisco has only just begun.”