By Robert Haugh
Councilman Suds Jain cannot vote on downtown Santa Clara development issues because he has a conflict of interest.
The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) made it official this week in a May 10th letter to the City.
Here’s the summary from the FPPC letter:
Question: Does the (Political Reform) Act prohibit Councilmember Jain from participating in discussions and decisions of the City Council related to the proposed Precise Plan for the Downtown focus area, given that his spouse’s nonprofit university employer owns real property within the focus area?
Conclusion: Yes. It is reasonably foreseeable that City Council decisions related to the proposed Precise Plan will have a material effect on Councilmember Jain(‘s) financial interest in his spouse’s employer.
We’ve been saying Jain has a conflict of interest for awhile.
Last September, we wrote the story about how Lori Jain, Sud’s wife, works at Santa Clara University. The school is near some potential downtown developments and he could financially benefit from it.
Jain himself knew of this conflict as early as 2016. He was a Planning Commissioner and had to recuse himself from the University’s master plan because of his wife’s employment.
But Jain misled voters during his campaign numerous times about his ability to vote on downtown issues.
We called Jain out on his false claims in a second story a few weeks before the election.
In an email exchange yesterday, Jain insisted he has not misled voters or the public.
Now that Jain’s conflict is official, some District 5 leaders are not pleased.
One district leader said Jain has “a big issue with honesty” and was tired of not having a Councilmember who can vote on important downtown issues.
Another community leader said it doesn’t really matter because the “community is going to provide the vision for downtown and Jain is irrelevant.”
The FPPC also suggested that they were misled by Jain.
In the May 10th letter to the City, the FPPC withdrew their earlier advice that was based on the evidence Jain gave them. Here’s what they wrote:
Further, the Jain Advice Letter, No. A-20-126, is RESCINDED, as the material facts on which the letter’s conclusion is based are no longer accurate.
Burt, I love your last remark regarding RECALL. Count me in also. It just upsets me regarding all the lies that they said and the truths they did not say , before the election. But then again, look who was asking the questions======= Jed York ( He was very pleased with their answers )
See, I told you that he lied about the sign on my lawn. He lies about everything. He even involves his wife in his lies. We need to get rid of him ,or our City will be destroyed. Wake up Santa Clara !!!!!
Love all of this… Recall, I really like the way that sounds… Recall. Count me in.
This can be done, we just need people to be on the same page and have one goal in mind.
Get our City Back… then remind the 49ers they are tenants, and that is all they are.
Burt Field
Question and pardon my ignorance. If his wife were to resign from SCU, would the conflict of interest be immediately removed?
Councilmember Jain per the conflict of interest laws would be required to recuse himself for one year after his wife leaves employment with SCU. This would not only affect downtown issues but all issues involving SCU.
Prior to the election then candidate Jain was aware of this conflict and stated publicly that his wife would be retiring from SCU in Jan 2021 and there would be no conflict. Now after the election Councilmember Jain states the his wife will not be leaving SCU. I think it’s easy to see why some are questioning the honesty of his pre election statements.
Thank you Bob. I hope SCU is compensating her well for her to willingly and negatively impact her husband’s seat on the council. If he publicly promised that she was to resign in January and we’re in mid-May, then we were all lied to and recall efforts should be forthcoming!
Five months and people are already talking recall??
Man, so much frickin’ BS!
Who is watching out for the city?
These bozos Jain/Park/Becker got the job
wrong.Take care of the City. Not take out
the City!
Sadly now this council 5 have each other’s
support.
What is the process for a recall in Santa Clara?
Looks like the City Clerk holds the key! Blimey, Hosam! Are you listening?? You are needed NOW!!
You may obtain the “Guide to Recall For County, School Districts, Special Districts and Local Judicial Offices” by calling the Candidate and Public Services Division at (408) 299-8639. The guide is intended to provide basic, useful facts about the recall process for elected officers of the county, a school district, a community college district and a special district as well as elected judges of the Superior Court.
For recall of city officeholders, contact the City Clerk of that city’s office.
For recall of state officeholders, see the Procedure for Recall of State and Local Officials published by the Office of the Secretary of State.
District Measures
Suds burned the Reclaim Downtown folks. No votes for them. They won’t say a word. But he can still look them in the face. Pathological?
Suds got his way…
There’s like 4 thousand people who belong to ROD. That should be enough votes to take back sud’s win from making false pretenses.
It really doesn’t matter, the downtown plan is dead, Jain nor any of the new council majority ever cared and never will. Of course they will talk and act as they care but that’s only to get votes. I’ll say it again, thanks to this council majority, the downtown plan is DEAD. Jain only cares about his climate change agenda and using the platform of the city council to advance it, along his hatred of Mayor Lisa Gillmor. Jain, Becker and Park will do what ever the 49ers want as repayment for their 3 million dollar investment. Hardy and Chahal saw what the 49ers spent to get the three elected and will do what ever it takes to get the same if not more monetary backing for their 2022 elections.
District 5 Voters got fleeced! What’s the woid? Suckas? Yep! That’s the woid!
Danny G. we got screwed but not all of us were sheep to be fleeced. I didn’t vote for Jain and only know a few that did. Tried to convince one of my neighbors but he was convinced Jain was his hero. He won’t talk much about it now.
Glad you knew better, mrhmyers! Doesn’t like it wll be a hard sell to recall the dude!
As I said during the election, Suds can’t vote, he is worthless to District 5.
Suds does not care about District 5 or Santa Clara, just his BS climate agenda
Liar liar pants on fire.🔥
So far what did Jed get for his $3M?
A wife beater
A liar and
?
What is recourse?
Admonishment?
Censure?
Those options are too good.
How about
RECALL!!
Time to vote out the garbage.
And take Jed with them.
Speaking of conflict of interest it would make sense for the three stooges not be allowed to vote on any issue involving the stadium or the 49ers. A definite conflict of interest. Can’t this be pursued, maybe by a cracker jack attorney like BJ Fleck?
District 5 has several key features. Downtown and the university are two of them. To knowingly lie about being able to vote on issues involving two key features is cause for removal. Suds says he worries about the cost of the law suit, well if he is concerned about the city treasury he should save us the cost of a recall and resign.
It is the honorable thing to do, but what am I saying?
Let’s see so during the first few months Suds Jain, the newly elected District 5 council member is currently attempting to raise a large tax assessment on the small business’ in Franklin Square, voted to de-fund to police and public safety, meets secretly with the 49ers and is assisting them in the firing of the City Attorney, currently meets weekly in seceret with the Independent Political Action Committee that paid more that 3 million dollars to get Park, Becker, and himself elected, wants to flood the city with “micro units” (300 sq ft residential living cubes) and destroy our beautiful and historic residential neighborhoods by allowing the construction of three-plexes or worse next to single family homes. Now it is revealed that Jain and the attorney he hired during the campaign, J. Byron Fleck, were not thoroughly forthcoming with the city and the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) in their communications relating the conflict(s) of interest that would have required Jain to recuse himself on all of the downtown plans and anything to do with Santa Clara University. Some consider “not thoroughly forthcoming” and Lying to be synonymous. I feel that Suds Jain lied to me. I feel that Suds Jain has betrayed me and my vote. Suds Jain does not care about me or our city. Suds Jain only cares about his personal agendas. Suds Jain must GO!
Noticing that Jain has Nixonian qualities. Dishonest. Mean. No sense of humor. Angry demeanor. Probably keeps an enemy\s list in his drawer too