By Robert Haugh
After a scathing Civil Grand Jury report that concluded the 49er Five regularly “put the 49ers’ interests ahead of the city’s interests,” the 49ers are attacking the Grand Jury.
49ers Exec and lobbyist Rahul Chandhok in a statement to the Silicon Valley Business Journal (SVBJ) called the Grand Jury “a kangaroo court.”
Wow. That’s a first.
Chandhok also told the SVBJ, that “in addition to the two unnamed members of the jury who were removed for conflicts, others like(ly) had similar conflicts that ‘will be uncovered.’”
Double wow. Even for Chandhok.
Chandhok claims that two jurors were “removed for conflicts.”
According to the final Grand Jury report published yesterday, two jurors recused themselves and were not removed as Chandhok claims:
Members of the Civil Grand Jury are instructed to determine if, as a result of prior or current employment or associations, investment in public or private enterprise, or personal relationship, they are subject to recusal from participating in a matter before the Civil Grand Jury. Two jurors recused themselves from the subject matter of this report.
According to knowledgeable sources, the 49ers have done research on Grand Jury members that includes identifying where they live and go to church.
Triple Wow.
A member of the local legal community said that Chandhok has a free speech right to criticize the report. But personally attacking the Grand Jury is problematic and could be considered jury tampering.
Police Chief Pat Nikolai sent an official request to Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen yesterday asking him to investigate the Grand Jury’s key findings. In that letter, Nikolai wrote:
The 49ers are sending a disturbing message: if anyone challenges the team, they will be publicly attacked, including the Grand Jury. These actions can discourage good people from speaking out against the 49ers or participating in our civic institutions.
By press time, Rosen’s press office had not responded to a request for comment.
SB 1439 – should help stop more 49er money coming in.
Rahul comments regarding the Grand jury is disgraceful and despicable and the 49er 5 is not far behind. The voters of Santa Clara gave the 49ers a home “stadium” when no other city would and this is how they act in return. No worries, what goes around comes around. So enjoy your mean spirited comments, your lies and your good health for now. I can’t wait when it comes around.
News flash
Both the managing clerk who reports to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court and State Bar Association have been notified about Chandhok’s threatening tirade. Curiously, the Water Districr was investigated by the Grand Jury for misconduct. They called it a “hatchet job” and claimed Grand Jury had conflicts
Sound familar???
When you see all the deflection by 49er mgmt and 5 council it makes you wonder. Why all the attacks even on GJ? Where there’s smoke there’s fire.There’s no doubt there’s more to this story. But the moral of the story is don’t get in bed w 49ers. You’re permanently screwed.
Dear Jed York,
So you and your hacks have compiled a list of where the grand jury members, and presumably some of their family members, go to church and the addresses of where they live??
That is just creepy, Jed. You all are at best, stalkers, and at worse, stalkers indirectly threatening the members of the civil grand jury, tampering with both the jury members and the outcome of Santa Clara elections.
Your team spokesman and lobbyist, Mr Chandhok, is just digging a deeper hole by the inflammatory and retaliatory statements he has made of the grand jury being nothing more than a kangaroo court, then going on to subtly put the grand jury members on notice that the 49ers are digging deep into their backgrounds, and even threatening to reveal where they go to church. Perhaps if the grand jury members are intimidated for their own safety, or their family members, and are not going to church because of that, this could be construed as an unconstitutional action on your part.
I hope the grand jury members seek protection from the 49ers and all file RESTRAINING ORDERS against you, Chandhok, and anybody working on your behalf.
Dan,
I think there are aspects of the report that are less compelling than others or even making a fuss out of insubstantial issues. But there is more than enough in there that is specific enough about known facts that naturally lead to the grand jury’s general findings and recommendations.
The five councilpeople who form the bloc described in the report do as a matter of fact consistently vote in the Forty Niners interests when stadium issues come up in council. They all also as a matter of public fact have had frequent meetings with the Forty Niners in private. They keep these frequent meetings private by meeting the Forty Niners in two consecutive meetings. One with two of them and another with three of them. They do this because they want to evade a law that requires any meeting with four or more of them to be public.
And these same five councilpeople who take pains to meet the Forty Niners privately and frequently in private and also vote the Forty Niners way consistently also have had the Forty Niners spend millions of dollars putting them into office or keeping them in office or elevating what office they are in.
Even if there are problematic aspects to the grand jury and its report all the above is true and troubling. All the above should give all Santa Clarans cause for concern and it was imperative that all this be known before the election. If the report was rushed to be released prior to the election I find no fault in that as I think this and much more needs to be done to counter the millions the Forty Niners are spending in this election cycle alone.
As someone who worked as an investigator for the State of Ca,, I can tell you the Niners have hired Private Investigators and more than likely, they have film of ALL the Grand Jury members. This is going to make it easier for Jeff Rosen to open an investigation.
Something is going on here! There is just too much nonsense going on for all of this work.
Also, where has been the national sports media?
What Randy describes sure sounds like mafia MO.
You folks do realize that Grand Jurors names are listed on the Court’s website, right? It would be interesting to know which Jurors recused themselves, and why.
I do find the Grand Jury allegations troubling, but as someone who reviews GJ reports as part of my profession, I also found the quality of the report itself troubling. It was very short on SPECIFIC details and appeared one-sided… the appearance being reinforced by the draft report being leaked. That’s how it looks to this outsider anyhow.
The reason is because no one from the Niners agreed to talk. None of the councilmembers either. So you go with what you have. Civil Grand Jury’s are to review government operations and make recommendations to improve as well as to protect the citizens and taxpayers. They have no subpoena power. They have n ability to compel testimony. They gave the Niners 10 days to contact them but again no one responded. They even gave them time to present anything to contradict the factual accuracy of its findings.
Jed York and his harem continually show themselves to be bullies and thugs.No respect for law. They all need to be prosecuted to fullest extent of law.
Retired attorney here. Your source is correct about potential jury tampering. However, there has to be an ongoing investigation. But I will say this is quite unusual and quite unbecoming.
Are we supposed to know who the gentlemen are in the pictures? The last two men you mentioned was Jeff Rosen and Pat Nikolai, but which is which? (okay, a little fun, but I don’t recognize them.)
The left is Rahul Chandhok. Right is Chris Jericho.
Of course Jed’s mobsters are trying to find out who the grand jurors are, how else would they threaten them or pay them off?
This Mafia has 20 attorneys covering their tracks.
The 49er executives are a bunch of thugs who will be in orange suits before we know it. I read Becker’s media release about the jury report and I find it comical he tried branding this as an October surprise (I am actually quite shocked the dummy knows what that is — he probably learned that from his Mommy Mahan). These kind of reports and findings take at least several months… I would not be surprised if this has been in the works for a while and happened to be released now.
Gosh if Chandick and the 49er 5 want their day in court just give it to them! They just might be sorry when they leave courthouse in chains and orange suits. 700 pages of emails must have told the jurors something. It’s clear by comments made that this gang of 5 plus Chandick don’t know how juries are impaneled and until complaints are filed with grand jury they don’t know what their year of service will be about which is why so many are chosen in case someone has a conflict and needs to recuse themselves. Chandick and the 5 are backed into a corner and know it. So give them their due so they can stay in that corner permanently.
A state bar complaint is being filed on Chandhok as well naming Jain.
I am informing the Foreperson of Civil Grand Jury of Chandhok’s threat.
Do these fools propose we protest in front of their homes like the idiots did to Supreme Court justices they didn’t agree with?
1) We need to know who brought this to the grand jury. 2) what were the exact reason(s) for the dismissal of our City attorney and Manager. We do not need speculation and guessing. To find competent professionals is an expensive ordeal for our City to bear. It took forever to find the talent in the first place. 3) it is important to remember that a Grand Jury can indict a potato.
My comments on the FB posting of this article:
These people outing grand jurors are the same ones you see advertising for Raj, Hardy and Becker. It is all BS in an effort to keep control of Santa Clara. Don’t let them, stop them at the ballot box.