By Robert Haugh
Stand Up for Santa Clara has launched a public petition calling for an independent investigation into allegations that City Manager Jovan Grogan and City Attorney Glen Googins met with 49ers executives before they were hired by the City.
The 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 executives at the team’s headquarters in late 2022, while they were candidates for their City Hall positions.
According to the source, 49ers executives Jihad Beauchman, Rahul Chandhok and Larry MacNeil participated in the meetings.
Both Grogan and Googins have denied through a City spokesperson that the meetings took place.
Stand Up for Santa Clara says the conflicting accounts are exactly why an independent investigation is needed.
The group argues that residents should not be left wondering whether the 49ers had any involvement or influence in the hiring process for two of Santa Clara’s most powerful appointed officials.
There’s significant history behind that concern.
Before Grogan and Googins were hired, the City Council fired City Attorney Brian Doyle in September 2021 and City Manager Deanna Santana in February 2022.
A Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury later reported that 49ers representatives had told Councilmembers they wanted both officials gone. The Grand Jury noted that Councilmember Suds Jain acknowledged publicly in April 2021 that 49ers officials had said they wanted Doyle “gone.”
The Grand Jury also reported that 49ers lobbyists had told Councilmembers they wanted Santana removed. Santana was fired two days after raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving the 49ers and Santa Clara’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
That history makes the allegation about possible pre-hiring meetings especially significant.
Grogan and Googins now play central roles in Santa Clara’s relationship with the 49ers and Levi’s Stadium.
City records identify both men as Santa Clara’s negotiators in matters involving the stadium ground lease and the 49ers.
They have also been directly involved in agreements involving the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Grogan and Googins negotiated Santa Clara’s controversial Super Bowl agreement with the NFL and 49ers.
Grogan was appointed City Manager in February 2023. Googins was selected as City Attorney the previous month.
Stand Up for Santa Clara says an investigation is necessary to establish what happened before those appointments.
But the organization argues that the competing accounts leave an important unanswered question involving the independence of Santa Clara City Hall.
Here’s a link to the petition.
I’m not sure how serious this whole situation is. I submitted a tip through the contact page that involved the our current city manager during the hiring process. No one ever even got back to me, or had any questions.
I would be pretty sure that meeting did indeed take place. I was approached by someone who is running for city council this week. Neighborhood meet ‘n greet. Nice guy. One of the 1st questions I asked was: are you supported in any way shape or form, by the 49ers? Ha, he knew exactly why I was asking. He said that he wasn’t. But, he also said that they did talk to him before or in the process of him starting his campaign. He specifically told them, that he didn’t want their support. So I can easily imagine that any and all people who end up joining the city in a high enough capacity, are indeed specifically approached by the 49ers. Hey, we’ll give you money and support if you’ll support our interests above and beyond that of the city. 😀
Others have mentioned this. The 49ers are stupid. All along, they could have said to their minions: always, always support the interests of the city 1st. But when there’s no conflict, we’d like it if you supported issues and items that are favorable to the team. But nope, they want the interests of the team placed above that of the city. That is just dumb. Then, like now, you get a sizeable amount of the city’s population, against you.
The investigation should include determining why denials of the meeting came through the City’s spokesperson, whether Grogan and Googins communicated truthfully to her, what exactly she was told, and what discussions she had with others before she issued the denials.
For the record, the Civil Grand Jury received my letter asking for such an investigation on September 22nd.