San Francisco official who helped with same-sex marriages resigns

A San Francisco city official who gained prominence when she officiated at last year's weddings of same-sex couples announced Thursday she was resigning while under investigation for her hiring practices. San Francisco assessor-recorder Mabel Teng cited personal turmoil over a divorce and scrutiny of her management of the office that assesses property and maintains city records. Teng told Mayor Gavin Newsom that she would remain in office until May 15. When Newsom ordered city officials to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on February 12, 2004, Teng and her office were an integral part of the month-long wedding spree. She personally officiated at the wedding of the first couple to get married, with the city's blessing, and agreed to keep her office open Valentine Day's weekend so as many marriages could be registered as possible before the courts intervened. Whenever she appeared at rallies attended by large numbers of gay and lesbian residents, she was greeted like a celebrity with people chanting, "Mabel! Mabel!" Last fall the city's Civil Service Commission began investigating whether Teng violated patronage and nepotism rules by allegedly hiring or promoting her campaign workers and contributors. Last month the commission issued a report that called into question some of Teng's hiring practices but which reached no conclusions on whether she knowingly acted improperly. (AP)