By Robert Haugh
The San Francisco 49ers-backed Santa Clara Now has returned.
The 49er-funded group has already spent several thousand dollars on a Meta ad campaign pushing Councilmembers Suds Jain and Kevin Park, while attacking Mayor Lisa Gillmor.
This is not the first time Santa Clara Now has meddled in Santa Clara politics via Facebook. In the last election in 2022, the group was blocked by Facebook for sponsoring political ads.
In 2022, they spent an estimated $100,000 on Facebook ads.
Santa Clara Now is doing what Jain, Park and Anthony Becker are accusing the grassroots group Stand Up For Santa Clara (SU4SC) of doing. The trio have filed City, State and FPPC complaints against SU4SC for allegedly sponsoring political ads, and not reporting $6,000 in political spending.
Interestingly, Santa Clara Now has not started any ads supporting Indicted Councilmember Becker, who will be up for re-election in November 2024, just like Jain and Park.
So either the 49ers expect Becker to not run, or they expect him to be serving time in prison.
It was former 49ers executive Rahul Chandhok who threw Becker under the bus, admitting under oath to the Grand Jury that Becker sent him the confidential “Unsportsmanlike Conduct” Grand Jury report via the messaging app, Signal.
Becker then allegedly perjured himself and now faces up to four years in prison if found guilty.
The 49ers’ support of Santa Clara Now was featured in a thorough report by San Francisco Chronicle which reported that Facebook forced Jed York to take down ads for Santa Clara Now.
The organization claims to be a nonprofit, but it didn’t really exist, according to the Chronicle.
[…] Clara Now, a Facebook group that the 49ers created, are running ads to help Councilmembers Suds Jain and Kevin Park but not […]
[…] Becker’s major financial backers, the 49ers, have stopped helping him with advertising. […]
“So either the 49ers expect Becker to not run, or they expect him to be serving time in prison.”
Or the Forty Niners are waiting for the outcome of his trial and will or will not continue to support him politically depending on the outcome.
It says non profit org. NO LISTING.
So Standup exists and gets hell, but this group does not exist.
Pray tell, Kevin Park brought which “major” events to SC? Park is at best a bumbling nincompoop. Certainly not a concert promoter.
Andrew… very much appreciate your comment on this issue.
Had to laugh yesterday when Ted said this…
NOVEMBER 14, 2023 AT 10:16 AM
Is this guy really equating the lobbying efforts of a local pizza shop owner to a BILLION dollar out of town sports franchise? He’s saying the financial impact of their efforts to affect council decisions are the same? I’m laughing that he thinks anyone will swallow this spin!!
So…..
Hang on everyone… Why…. because here we go again.
What do we, the residents want?
Below is what I want, and I am assuming others want the same.
Pay your Rent
Respect our City.
Be thankful we built you a stadium.
Show us both your Books, yes both of them.
Leave our Police Chief and City Clerk alone.
Pay your Rent
Register to Vote, talk to others about our situation.
Then Vote early…
Burt Field
burt.field@gmail.com
Hard agree! “Both books”, priceless!
What a pimp for greed and corruption. Santa Clarans are on to you York family.Time to vote you all out.
Wow Jed. This is harsh. Becker continues to carry all those gallons of water for you! Yeah you spent gazillions of $$ on him trying to buy the Mayors seat and failed. Twice! Yeah he committed a felony lying about the confidential GJ report but it was all to get you a great ROI. Come on, Jed. The guy is going to jail for you! Throw him a Thank You false Santa Clara ad.