By Robert Haugh
San Francisco Chronicle reporters Lance Williams and Ron Kroichick sacked the 49ers in a revealing investigative report.
49ers executive Rahul Chandhok not only attacked the Civil Grand Jury report, but its members, too. According to the Chronicle’s investigation, jurors have been followed, investigated and harassed.
Here’s some key sections:
Three experts on civil grand juries, watchdog panels convened by California courts to probe local government, said they had never before seen this level of aggressive criticism … Retired state senator and San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Quentin Kopp, said the team’s attacks may have crossed the legal line.
Kopp, who supervised civil grand juries in his years on the bench, called public comments about the panel members by 49ers spokesperson Rahul Chandhok “rife with personal innuendoes.” Kopp acknowledged subjects of a grand jury report are free to rebut the panel’s findings, but after reviewing Chandhok’s statements, Kopp said, “They appear to have investigated personally every grand juror.”
“If I were the grand jury judge, I would issue an order to the 49ers… to show cause why they should not be held in contempt of court,” Kopp said. “I believe personal attacks on individual jurors could amount to jury intimidation.”
Wow.
The 49ers learned the home addresses and religious practices of the jurors, according to an email Chandhok previously sent to The Chronicle. Chandhok wrote that “several” jurors lived within one mile of [Santa Clara Mayor Lisa] Gillmor or former City Attorney Brian Doyle. Chandhok also noted one juror (whom he named) went to a church attended by Doyle, a longtime 49ers critic fired last year by the team-friendly council majority.
Chandhok described the grand jury to reporters as a “kangaroo court” and “a partisan group of cronies co-opting the justice system,” according to news accounts. He also accused grand jurors of “corruption,” telling several media outlets, “This corruption of the justice system is outrageous, unethical and the public deserves an independent investigation.”
Double wow.
Anthony Becker, the mayoral candidate whom the 49ers are backing in this year’s election with more than $2 million in contributions, made similar comments in a press release, calling the report “a political hit piece.”
In the ensuing days, two grand jurors said they were followed or surveilled by people they didn’t know, The Chronicle has learned. It could not be determined who was responsible for the alleged surveillance.
Triple Wow.
One juror complained of being “tailed” by another motorist while driving, according to two sources familiar with the juror’s account. … A second juror complained of seeing an unknown intruder on their property, according to the sources. At least one of the jurors’ accounts was relayed to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. A spokesperson for the D.A. declined comment.
Interesting that District Attorney Jeff Rosen declined to comment on the unprecedented attack on a local Grand Jury.
The article is behind a paywall. But it only costs 99 cents to read the full article and support true journalism.
[…] In October of last year, a civil grand jury report noted that the city of Santa Clara lost $2.8 million on eight non-NFL events in 2019-20 and that the 49ers stadium management company had “not been forthcoming with detailed documentation.” The San Francisco Chronicle also reported that while the report was being done, a 49ers executive followed, investigated and harassed jurors. […]
Do not be easily distracted and follow the Forty Niners in arguing about the fundamentals of a civil grand jury.
The main problem with what is being highlighted in this article is that the Forty Niners are attacking the grand jury like Trump attacks democratic elections.
They do this to distract attention from findings and recommendations that are based on indisputable publicly known facts:
1. The Forty Niners council bloc has taken pains to evade public meeting laws to meet Forty Niners executives in private dozens of times.
2. The Forty Niners council bloc has voted the way the Forty Niners wanted them to at every opportunity these past two years.
3. The Forty Niners have spent over $4,500,000 supporting their bloc this year and spent $3,000,000 in 2020.
It does not take a grand jury report to see this and connect the dots on the potential corruption suggested by the clear facts.
This council bloc knows this but refuses to address public concerns over potential corruption.
1. They have not explained why they must meet privately with the Forty Niners away from not only two other members of the stadium commission but also the city attorney and city manager and city clerk. If they are discussing sensirive issues not ready for public disclosire why not meet the Forty Niners in closed session with full staff?
2. They pretend that they do not want the Forty Niners to spend millions of dollars on them. But they make weak statements and never bold declarations demanding the Forty Niners stop. They pretend they are holding the Forty Niners accountable against Forty Niner self interest but they cannot even hold the Forty Niners accountable in spending for their own personal political interests.
3. They voted against public discussion to explain their reasons for voting to accept the Forty Niners settlement and end litigation. No matter how you feel about the litigation or settlement this was a controversial vote and it was surrounded by oddness. Closed session ending that night with statement by the city attorney that no decision had been made. And then reversal and announcement the next day that the settlement had been approved. We deserve explanation and thus council bloc refuses to give one.
And…. well that pretty much sums up everything right there. I can now shut up as well.
Thanks for doing this so articulately.
Burt Field
burt.field@gmail.com
It’s what Santa Clara residents voted for. Isn’t it?
Civil grand jury members are jury members. Chandhok is a lawyer.
A former judge is right.
Sad… that said, we still have a vote, as I have learned together we are stronger, in fact unbreakable and unbeatable come to mind.
The “40 Whiners” have 31 more years to figure this out, and I don’t think they are even close to being done.
What we have to do is stay vigilant and understand that nothing out of that corner of the room will end up working out well for us. No matter how it is dressed up, no matter who says what…. their true colors have been shown.
They are liars. But they are also, cheats, and bullies.
At best, they view Santa Clara, and the residents as nothing more than a doormat, and what do you do with a doormat… you wipe your feet on it. Think about it, how many times in your life have you ever thought about your doormat?
By contrast, I actually think about my toilet paper at least once in awhile.
Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on me
Fool me a third time….We need to stay vigilant, and focused.
So here we go, “Ready, ….Focus,…Action”. Had to change my terminology… some will know why.
2023 will see some pretty large changes in how our City is run, and hopefully we will be able at least for a few years live our lives with less interference from one really poorly run local company.
Burt Field
burt.field@gmail.com
Update on recall you are leading? No Notice of Intent filed/served. What’s up!
22-0-13390
State Bar Complaint on Rahul. The Pietr De Vries of Santa Clara
Now you guys need to remember Byron advised the recall Arno committee who kept their signatures in a safe deposit box and burned all those thousands collected.
Until then, just respond this way
https://youtu.be/h0YI_eHg3Aw
Fleck! Do you wanna’ help the recall? Realize your compadres are a bunch of thieves and liars?
What did it cost to profile all the Grand Jurors? Must have been thousands for each juror. Add that to Jed York’s total $ expenditures.
Money is no obstacle for Jed York to by Santa Clara!
Oh good it’s take out the trash day. Where to start with Chandick? Talk about a bully! And he is using people to intimate jurors? Just like Becker and his walkers? Instead of yorkville how about Thugsville? Are people going to be breaking kneecaps next?
Ace Smith is running the “independent committee” against Lisa. He owns a private investigative firm.
I’m starting to think the 49ers have the “Trump” condition. They do SO much wrong, but nothing ever happens to them……I hope the district attorney has what it takes to not let them get away with everything…….
Cmon suds. fleck becker rahul. Take on QUENTIN KOPP!
“Chandhok wrote that ‘several’ jurors lived within one mile of [Santa Clara Mayor Lisa] Gillmor or former City Attorney Brian Doyle.” ROFL. Seriously. In the CIty of Santa Clara it’s possible to live within 1 mile of many people holding many different beliefs and also possible to live within 1 mile of more than City Council or Staff member. That’s Chandok’s smear? What a clown. Ditto for “going to the same church,” because – as we all know – everyone who goes to the same church thinks identically about everything? “Sad.”
22-O-13390
State Bar complaint on chandhok