If you are thinking that Santa Clara Council Member Anthony Becker is a criminal, you might want to reconsider.
While Becker is accused of lying to District Attorney Jeff Rosen, it is Jeff Rosen who is the aggressor. Rosen took an oath of office when he was elected District Attorney. He took the oath of office promising to fulfill the duties and obligations of that office.
Rosen’s pettiness earned him the nickname “the Karen DA” a few years ago, and his retaliation against his critics, plus his ambition to become Attorney General, appear to take precedence over the current epidemic of retail theft. He was removed from one prosecution because one of the defendants was a fundraiser and political consultant for Rosen’s own campaigns.
While the looters are ransacking the Rite Aid, Rosen is fired up to find Council Member Anthony Becker guilty of something. He’s made his crusade against Becker a centerpiece of his campaign website. Why? Becker didn’t steal anything, didn’t attack anyone, but…Becker did run for Santa Clara Mayor against Lisa Gillmor and was within 700 votes of winning.
Aha! That appears to be the crime!
Now enter the Grand Jury report; released, of course, just prior to the election. The report was an opinionated tirade against council members who met with…imagine…Santa Clara’s partner in Levi’s Stadium, the SF 49ers.
Does anyone, ANYONE, give a tinker’s damn about the Grand Jury report? Only Jeff Rosen, who intends to send Councilman Anthony Becker to jail for up to four years for possibly leaking it and saying he didn’t.
But wait, The SF Chronicle, Gillmor’s favorite paper, according to the District Attorney’s own investigator, published a story about the report on their website in the wee hours of the morning, took it down and later in the day published a summary of the report. Who do you think gave it to them? A hint…it wasn’t Becker.
Mysteriously, Mayor Gillmor’s favorite friends and financial aid fountain over at the POA had an entire website up and operational the next day after the report was released to the City Council. It was all about the Grand Jury’s criticism of city council members. Hmm…do you think the POA may have an inside informant?
Becker’s home and car were ransacked by Rosen’s deputies twice. Becker was placed in handcuffs and put in a patrol car! Over what? An accusation? They found nothing on either raid, but they did spend a pile of public money to harass Becker.
Rosen’s deputies also took Council Member Becker’s computer and phone which, after more than a year, have never been returned.
Readers, this is Jeff Rosen your District Attorney at work getting those “criminals.”
During all this, Mayor Lisa Gillmor, with a smile, simply sipped on her cup of foamy latte.
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Milestones – A Swimming Idea! – Opinion
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