By Robert Haugh
The San Francisco Chronicle continues to bring important news regarding the 49ers’ efforts to acquire Santa Clara.
Award-winning reporters Ron Kroichick And Lance Williams landed on the front page of the newspaper with a story about the indicted Santa Clara City Council Anthony Becker and former 49ers manager Rahul Chandhok.
The story is available on MSN (no paywall) or on the Chronicle website (paywall).
Here are the most important parts of the story:
The story of how Becker ended up in court with Chandhok as a witness for the prosecution is told in heavily redacted trial and appeals records reviewed by the Chronicle. In addition to the deletions, the records offer new details about the former 49ers executive’s desperate attempts to avoid testifying against a politician the team had showered with more than $2.5 million in campaign contributions.
At one point, the records show, Chandhok invoked the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to avoid testifying against Becker. When a judge ordered him to testify anyway, Chandhok filed an emergency appeal, asking the court to keep his testimony secret.
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Chandhok’s attorney filed an emergency motion in the District Court of Appeals, and his testimony was adjourned. He asked that the file be sealed, and Chandhok was identified only by his initials. Most documents related to the appeal are either sealed or redacted.
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But the record shows that the prosecutor told the appeals court in December that he had concluded that the trial judge’s decision was erroneous and that Chandhok was nevertheless entitled to the Fifth Amendment.
To obtain Chandhok’s testimony, the prosecutor granted him immunity. Chandhok had 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 before a grand jury, a panel that investigates crimes and indicts suspected criminals. Chandhok was subpoenaed on the first day.
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Over the course of two days, he sometimes asked to consult with his lawyer, particularly when asked about his campaign for Becker and use of the Signal app. He could not recall some details and said he had “no recollection” of discussing the civil grand jury report with the 49ers CEO. Jed York.
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In December 2022, after he had argued the Fifth Amendment before the grand jury and his appeal was pending, Chandhok said he received a call from a reporter at the Silicon Valley Voice (editor Angie Tolliver) who said, “Hey, Anthony is going to call you.”
A moment later the phone rang, but Chandhok said he didn’t answer.
“It was a very unpleasant feeling,” he said, “and I just didn’t want to have anything to do with it.”
Chandhok will be the key witness against Becker at his trial, which begins this week.
Another important witness will be a council member Soap foam Jain who testified that Becker told him he had leaked the grand jury report to SV Voice. But Jain didn’t report this to anyone until months later, when he was under oath before a grand jury.
A hearing to open the trial was scheduled for yesterday but has been postponed until Wednesday, August 13.
According to informed sources, the selection of the jury is expected to begin this week.
