Trump Ally Demands SF Group Return Donation, But They Can't

David Sacks, a former Trump advisor, wants his $10,000 back from a pro-Lurie group, but they say the money has already been spent.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 1:33am by Ben Kaplan

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A dimly lit, cinematic street scene with a lone campaign sign or political poster in the foreground, conveying a sense of quiet contemplation and the weight of political divisions in the city.A quiet, cinematic scene of San Francisco's political landscape, where tensions linger over campaign donations and transparency.San Francisco Today

David Sacks, a Silicon Valley investor and former Trump administration official, has demanded that a San Francisco political group allied with Mayor Daniel Lurie, GrowSF for Change, return a $10,000 donation he made through an LLC. However, GrowSF says the money has already been spent on a single poll and the campaign committee has been closed, so they are unable to return the funds to Sacks.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the ongoing political tensions in San Francisco, where pro-Lurie groups like GrowSF have faced scrutiny over their funding sources and ties to the mayor. It also raises questions about transparency in local campaign finance and the ability of donors to reclaim contributions once they have been spent.

The details

Sacks, who previously served as the White House Special Advisor for AI and Crypto and is now co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, donated $10,000 to GrowSF for Change through LLCs connected to him and two associates. When GrowSF was notified that Sacks was behind one of the LLCs, they were surprised, as they were unaware of the connection to the former Trump official. GrowSF says they would not have accepted the donation had they known about Sacks' involvement.

  • On April 3, 2026, The Standard's Power Play newsletter reported on the LLCs connected to Sacks donating to GrowSF.
  • On April 4, 2026, GrowSF co-founder Steven Bacio issued a statement saying the group was unaware of Sacks' involvement and would not have accepted the donation if they had known.
  • On April 4, 2026, local journalist Susan Deyer Reynolds asked GrowSF on X (Twitter) to return the money to Sacks, to which Sacks replied that they should do so.

The players

David Sacks

A Silicon Valley investor and former White House Special Advisor for AI and Crypto under President Donald Trump, who is now the co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

GrowSF for Change

A local political group in San Francisco that is closely allied with Mayor Daniel Lurie.

Steven Bacio

The co-founder of GrowSF for Change.

Susan Deyer Reynolds

A local journalist who posted about the situation on X (Twitter).

Daniel Lurie

The mayor of San Francisco.

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What they’re saying

“At no point were we made aware that this contribution came from an LLC affiliated with David Sacks. Had we known, we would not have accepted the donation. GrowSF is proud to be supported by more than 1,000 donors who share our commitment to San Francisco's values.”

— Steven Bacio, Co-founder, GrowSF for Change

“Yup, feel free to return the money @GrowSF”

— David Sacks

What’s next

The GrowSF spokesperson said the campaign committee was opened to conduct a single poll to gauge voter moods on Lurie's signature charter reform ballot measures, and then was closed, meaning the $10,000 donation from Sacks has already been spent and cannot be returned.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing political tensions in San Francisco, where pro-Lurie groups like GrowSF have faced scrutiny over their funding sources and ties to the mayor. It also raises questions about transparency in local campaign finance and the ability of donors to reclaim contributions once they have been spent.