By Robert Haugh

For the first six months of 2019, the 49ers made six contributions totaling $21,000.

Here are the committees they gave to and the amounts:

• Committee on Political Education (South Bay Labor Council’s political committee) — $10,000

• Bay Area Legislative Leaders PAC (The Bay Area Council’s political committee) — $5,000

• Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce PAC — $3,000

• The Silicon Valley Organization PAC (formerly the San Jose Chamber PAC) — $1,500

• Yes on Measure W (West Valley – Mission College Bond) — $500

So far this year, the team has been most generous to labor. They gave almost half their contribution total this period. That’s interesting. Here’s what SBLC’s Executive Officer Ben Field told us:

“The Niners contribution was not a major part of our total fundraising.  I suspect that they would like to improve their relationship with Labor, which Labor would like as well.  We certainly have not refrained from fair criticism of the team.”

It’s also interesting that they gave to the Santa Clara Chamber PAC. That group’s performance was pathetic last year and they’re being investigated. And the 49ers made their contribution on April 15. That’s four days after we publicly reported that the PAC was told to take a walk by the Chamber of Commerce board! 

Whoops!

It’s also interesting that the team made a contribution to Yes on Measure W bond after the campaign ended. According to a source close to the campaign, WVMC Board member Anne Kepner made the ask. She’s believed to have a close relationship with the 49ers.

Kepner also personally recruited Jas Sajjan, a 49ers public affairs manager to the Mission City Community Fund Board this year, according to multiple sources.

Kepner did not respond to multiple email requests for comment over the last week.

The only candidate the 49ers contributed to this year was Josh Becker for Senate 2020.  We think there’s an interesting story there. But we’ll save that for another day.

NOTE: We would like to thank Ben Field for responding to us while he was on vacation and we were on deadline.