By Robert Haugh
Santa Clara City Manager Jovan Grogan and City Attorney Glen Googins met separately with 49ers executives at team headquarters before they were hired by the City, according to a source in a position to know about the meetings.
The meetings took place in late 2022 at the 49ers’ headquarters next to Levi’s Stadium, according to the source, who requested anonymity because of fear of retaliation.
According to the source, 49ers officials Jihad Beauchman, Rahul Chandhok and Larry MacNeil met separately with Grogan and Googins while the two men were candidates for two of the most powerful positions at Santa Clara City Hall.
The source said the meetings were held in secret and not disclosed to the full City Council.
Yesterday, both Grogan and Googins denied the meetings took place, according to Janine De la Vega, the City’s Publc Information Officer.
The source did not know whether Bob Murray & Associates, the executive search firm hired by Santa Clara, arranged or facilitated the meetings.
If accurate, the undisclosed meetings raise questions about the independence and transparency of the hiring process.
Since taking office, Grogan and Googins have been directly involved in major negotiations involving the 49ers and Levi’s Stadium.
In May 2024, a City Council closed-session agenda specifically identified both men as Santa Clara’s negotiators with the 49ers’ stadium company over the price and terms of the stadium lease, while the Council was also dealing with major litigation involving the team.
Also, Grogan and Googins negotiated a Super Bowl reimbursement arrangement under which Santa Clara would pay millions of dollars in public-safety costs, with the Bay Area Host Committee responsible for reimbursement.
Neither Grogan or Googins had experience with these types of negotiations.
It’s been 226 days since the Super Bowl was played in Santa Clara. Grogan and Googins have not reported if the City has been fully reimbursed for all Super Bowl costs.
In 2022, Santa Clara’s recruitment materials emphasized the importance of independence for the City Manager and City Attorney.
Bob Murray & Associates’ recruitment brochure for City Manager said Santa Clara was seeking a candidate who was “transparent, honest, and ethical” and capable of providing balanced recommendations to the City Council.
The recruitment brochure for City Attorney went even further. It said Santa Clara wanted an attorney who was “ethical, impartial, and honest,” capable of remaining neutral and nonpartisan and willing to provide legal advice to protect the City’s interests. The brochure specifically noted that the City Attorney advises and represents the Santa Clara Stadium Authority on stadium matters.
Grogan was appointed City Manager by the Council on Feb. 7, 2023.
Googins was selected as City Attorney in January 2023 after the Council interviewed candidates in closed session.
Does exchanging signal messages, text messages, or emails count as “spoke with”, or “discuss”?
I remember in a certain trial it was brought up that a certain council member in 2022 was exchanging quite a bit of messages with certain people. All while in 2022 denying meeting with or speaking to thous said people.
2nd I thought the 49ers didn’t operate on asking or requesting. From what I can summarize they tell people what they want, and people listen.
#Semantics
Me personally? Not buying it. I know for a fact, that one of the candidates for city council this election cycle, was approached by the 49ers. He told them that he did not want their support. And indeed, if you look at his election materials, there is no mention anywhere at all of support by them. It would not surprise me in the least, if these two were also approached/talked to by the team, before being hired.
October 6, 2026
Joint Statement from Jovan Grogan, City Manager, and Glen Googins, City Attorney
Reluctantly, we provide the following comment to the September 22, 2026 blog post titled “Exclusive: Source Says Santa Clara City Manager and City Attorney Met Secretly With 49ers Before Being Hired.”
Serving in a leadership position in local government is immensely rewarding. It also comes with significant downsides –both professionally and personally. Part of what you sign up for when you choose to serve in a high-profile position in local government is public scrutiny. And that’s how it should be. Public feedback is both necessary and helpful. Even when it’s not entirely fair or informed, public feedback can highlight a matter of policy or an operational issue that isn’t getting enough attention. Unfortunately, now more than ever, employees of public agencies must also confront baseless accusations and personal attacks circulated online and at public meetings. Most of the time, the right thing to do is to ignore such accusations. And that was our initial thought here. When asked for comment a few days before the blog story was published, we chose to simply deny the allegation, chalking it up to a byproduct of a heightened political climate in the run-up to a municipal election.
In a City such as Santa Clara, keeping up with the daily flow of the people’s business, while supporting the 2,000 employees that provide public services each day, requires an extraordinary amount of effort and focused attention. You don’t have time for nonsense. Typically, taking time to respond and defend yourself only elevates the issue, which is the very goal of the person making the false allegation. Worse still, publicly debating a bogus issue can create an even greater distraction for you and your employees, pulling you away from what really matters. However, at some point, a line gets crossed.
We feel that the recent “reporting” on the Santa Clara News Online blog from an anonymous source alleging that the two of us met with representatives of the 49ers before we were hired crosses that line, and now requires a more emphatic response. Here it is:
The allegation is completely false. Neither of us met or spoke with anyone associated with the 49ers organization before we were hired or started our employment with the City –not a single employee, owner, public-relations representative, or consultant…no one. Further, prior to starting our employment with the City, it was not suggested, nor were we asked to meet with the 49ers by any City Councilmember, the executive recruitment firm, or anyone else. Similarly, no one associated with the 49ers organization reached out to us requesting any such meeting or to discuss any topic. Whoever made this allegation is completely making it up or repeating something they heard from someone else who is completely making it up.
Within First Amendment limits, it is the blog’s—and the public’s—prerogative to publish and say what they want about any public official, us included. However, we would hope that in a town as extraordinary as this one, with so many good people and so many good things going on, at least some semblance of journalistic standards and decency would be applied. Again, we recognize that public scrutiny is a part of the job. This is not scrutiny. It is an attempt to tarnish our professional reputations and undermine confidence in City government. That’s a shame.
– Jovan Grogan
&
– Glen Googins
Even if this post from the “real” Grogan and Googins, at least Grogan’s name comes first–Googins is, thus, subservient.
Grogan and Googins (the two Gs) are borne from the same ideology as “Grifters.” Perhaps their last name initials are prescient.
Average US City Manager Salary is $257,033 per year in the United States.
Average CA City Attorney Salary is $411,486 per year, yet in Florida it is $259,088.
These 2 Gs (or jokers) are robbing us Santa Clarans.
NOWHERE do they provide premium services than any other town or city in this Great Country of United States. But they ride along on our property taxes, etc. Shame on them.
https://govsalaries.com/salaries/city-manager-salary
https://govsalaries.com/salaries/city-attorney-salary/california
https://govsalaries.com/salaries/city-attorney-salary/florida
[…] petition follows a Santa Clara News Online exclusive report that cited a source in a position to know who said Grogan and Googins met separately with 49ers […]
[…] source says Santa Clara City Manager Jovan Grogan and City Attorney Glen Googins met secretly with 49ers before being […]
Maybe sports organizations need to be stopped from contributing to politicians in any way, shape and form, and stay in their own lane….. SPORTS! The corruption is everywhere. It’s pathetic.
I have no idea if the report of the meetings is true or not, but I do find it somewhat odd that Grogan and Googins issued their denials through a third person. If someone had made a false report about something I had done, I would certainly make any statement about it in person and be available for any questions from the public.
Maybe we are just being paranoid, it’s normal for candidates to meet with the new hiring managers and decision makers. And fear of retaliation? Really, what are the chances of these thugs resorting to retaliation?
The story of “The Corruption of Santa Clara” would make a great story, but it would have to be presented as fiction versus documentary. No one would believe it.
Did 49er 5 know this? They were part of hiring process.
Could this explain the recent push for raises without evaluations? And retroactive pay for these two but not for unions?
This needs more light shed on it. Grand jury perhaps?
This certainly explains the glowing reviews of the city manager and city attorney by the SVVoice as they are the exclusive Jed York rag.
This needs to end.
From 2016, 49ers executives changed jobs with other firms aided by Bob Murray and Associates.
Just a coincidence I’m sure. They do a lot of searching for the 49ers, this was just another typical search. Right?