By Robert Haugh
The San Francisco Chronicle continues to break major stories about the 49ers’ efforts to take over Santa Clara.
Award-winning reporters Ron Kroichick and Lance Williams landed on the paper’s front page with a story featuring indicted Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker and former 49ers executive Rahul Chandhok.
The story is available on MSN (no paywall) or the Chronicle’s site (paywall).
Here are the major parts of the story:
The story of how Becker landed on trial with Chandhok as a prosecution witness plays out in heavily redacted trial and appeals court records reviewed by the Chronicle. Amid the deletions, the records offer new details on the former 49ers’ executive’s desperate attempts to avoid testifying against a politician whom the team had showered with more than $2.5 million in campaign donations.
At one point, the records show, Chandhok cited the Fifth Amendment to sidestep testifying against Becker. When a judge ordered him to testify anyway, Chandhok filed an emergency appeal, asking the court to keep his filing a secret.
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Chandhok’s lawyer made an emergency plea to the District Court of Appeal, and his testimony was postponed. He asked for the filing to be sealed, and Chandhok was identified only by his initials. Most documents related to the appeal are either sealed or blacked out.
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But in December, records show the prosecutor told the appeals court that he concluded the trial judge’s ruling had been in error and that Chandhok was entitled to take the Fifth after all.
Then, to get Chandhok’s testimony, the prosecutor granted him immunity. Chandhok was required to answer all questions. As long as he told the truth, his testimony could not be used to prosecute him.
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Two months later, in March 2023, the prosecutor brought the case to a criminal grand jury, a panel that investigates crimes and indicts suspected criminals. Chandhok was called on the first day.
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Over two days, he sometimes asked to consult his lawyer, especially when questioned about electioneering for Becker and using the Signal app. He couldn’t remember some details, saying he did not “have a memory” of discussing the civil grand jury report with 49ers CEO Jed York.
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December 2022, after he took the Fifth before the grand jury and with his appeal underway, Chandhok said he got a call from a Silicon Valley Voice reporter (editor Angie Tolliver), who said, “Hey, Anthony is going to give you a call.”
Moments later the phone rang, but Chandhok said he didn’t pick up.
“It just felt very uncomfortable,” he said, “and I just didn’t want to have any part of it.”
Chandhok will be the star witness against Becker at his trial that starts this week.
Another key witness will be Councilmember Suds Jain who testified that Becker told him he leaked the Grand Jury report to the SV Voice. But Jain didn’t report that to anyone until months later when he was under oath and in front of a criminal Grand Jury.
A hearing to start the trial was scheduled yesterday, but moved to Wednesday, August 13.
According to knowledgeable sources, jury selection is likely to begin this week.
Yup Suds needs to take a long shower using a bar of lava to try and wash away the scum on his body and Chad what ever his name is should go directly to jail. But most importantly, our “wonderful and honest” City Council members should just keep their heads in the sand and do nothing. Yup , the no integrity do nothing Council. Yup
What is this all about?
BETRAYAL OF PUBLIC TRUST
You readers are Santa Clara residents
York is not
Chandhok is not
Becker owes his position to you.
Not them.
Therefore Becker betrayed you
It had to be Carolyn Schuk.
https://santaclaranews.org/2023/02/03/special-investigative-report-anthony-becker-claims-he-wrote-letter-that-was-secretly-authored-by-santa-clara-weekly-reporter-carolyn-schuk/
Fong
Used to live in sunnyvale
Moved to cupertino to run for assembly
Then moved to west san jose to run for council
Then moved back to sunyvale to run for west valley
Fong hired a canpaign manager who used a fund raising letter to attack a palestenian christsin who raised noney for palestian and israeli families (both groups).
A game piece on a checkboard
Robert — I clicked and read Chron story. It says a Silicon Valley Voice reporter but doesn’t say who. You sure it was Angie Tolliver and not Carolyn Schuk. Schuk is the one who has helped Becker in the past and his a bad rep.
A reliable source said it was Angie. The Becker case has revealed a lot about the Silicon Valley Voice and its relationships with Becker and the 49ers. I may write something about that soon.
A sitting councilmember testifying against another – wow. Don’t see that often.
Suds will protect his own skin and we will watch as the 49ers and their stooges, throw Becker to the wolves. Maybe Becker finally realizes they are not his friends and comes clean
Hmmmm….the same four 49er candidates from 2020 have the nerve to run again? One has already been indicted; one was complicit on behalf of the indicted one; one abuses members of the public; and one shakes down non-profits.
Santa Clara doesn’t need these hoodlums. They should all be in jail.
Fool me once shame on you.
Fool me twice shame on me.
Wake up Santa Clara!
Don’t get fooled twice!
Isn’t Rahul an active member of the State Bar?
Oh, on the Fong front, fong was sanctioned by Fppc for corription twice.
Gather around children and grab the Pop Corn. Let this all be a lesson to each and every one of you.
I tell you children if the NFL comes knocking… just run away, live another day.
Santa Clara is full of really good people. We all just wanted to help. Turns out some folks take that warm, friendly generous trait and believe it’s a weakness. That we are just simple folk, easily taken advantage of.
Forget the money we have lost, forget that we no longer can claim “Ignorance”.
There is only one thing worse than this happening to our City, and that is allowing it to happen again.
Ask yourself what is the difference between “Ignorance or Stupidity”?
ANSWER is so simple.
One of them is temporary.
Nov 5th, we will prove we just didn’t know.
Better Days are ahead.
I live in District 4, I plan on knocking on every registered voters door to tell them to vote for Teresa O’Neil.
Need a lawn sign?
email me,
Burt Field
burt.field@gmail.com