By Robert Haugh

According to a recent report in the San Francisco Chronicle, the 49ers have spent $2.4 million to win Santa Clara City Council races this election cycle.  That’s an enormous amount for Mission City elections.

The team has spent approximately $600,000 to help Councilmember Suds Jain through an independent expenditure.  That’s an incredible amount for one Council seat.

Jain is also a key witness in Vice Mayor Anthony Becker’s felony perjury trial that starts November 6, the day after Election Day.

In September, when the team contributed approximately $250,000 to help Jain, legal experts and others speculated it could be considered a bribe since Jain is a key witness.

After a report a few days ago by Santa Clara News Online that two top 49ers executives have been added to the witness list, the speculation has grown.

According to a source monitoring the trial closely, Jain will be a key witness for the prosecution to show that Becker leaked the 2022 Grand Jury report.

Jain knew about it for months but did not say anything until he was forced to testify under oath by a Grand Jury.  Some community leaders considered it a coverup of Becker’s alleged crime.

Jain could also be used to show Becker’s intent. Becker was running for Mayor in 2022 and the team was backing him with a $2.5 million independent expenditure.

So Becker had a good reason to leak the report to the team so they could prepare a response in advance to help Becker in the weeks before his 2022 mayoral election.

But depending on what Jain is willing to say, he could help Becker or the team.  So the prosecution has made an attempt to enter into evidence the 49ers’ independent expenditure campaign for Jain this year. 

If Jain’s testimony is weak or contradictory, the 49ers’ recent $600,000 campaign expenditures could be a factor.

Judge Javier Alcala will rule on the admission of the evidence during the trial.

This is a developing story.