Santa Clara Councilmembers file ethics complaint against group they say has ties to Mayor Lisa Gillmor

The councilmembers filed complaints with the city, FPPC and the IRS.

Three Santa Clara city council members have filed several ethics complaints against Stand Up For Santa Clara, a self-described “grass-roots watchdog organization” linked to Mayor Lisa Gillmor.

Vice Mayor Kevin Park and Councilmembers Anthony Becker and Suds Jain recently filed complaints with the city and the California Fair Political Practices Commission, claiming the group is a “political operation” that has failed to be transparent with its political spending or advertisements. The group also filed an IRS complaint, questioning its non-profit status.

The mayor told the Mercury News that the complaint is “completely frivolous” and that she has never worked with Stand Up For Santa Clara, a “grassroots organization that sincerely cares about Santa Clara.”

“These accusations are made by councilmembers who are attempting to divert attention away from the fact that they are continuing to help the 49ers at the expense of the city,” Gillmor said.

Stand Up For Santa Clara was founded in 2015 by residents Burt and Vickie Field, Tino Silva, and Steve Robertson, who became “community activists” in the midst of a battle over the youth soccer park adjacent to Levi’s Stadium, according to its website.

However, over time, it has evolved into a political advocacy group that may be violating local and state laws, according to the councilmembers’ complaints.

Becker stated that he has been looking into the group since last year, when he challenged Gillmor’s re-election bid for mayor. While he went through a “very tedious process” to get his Facebook ads approved, he told the Mercury News that Stand Up For Santa Clara has not been subjected to the same scrutiny.

“It’s hypocritical for Stand Up For Santa Clara to talk about transparency when they lack the most transparency,” he says.

The council passed a dark money ordinance in 2018 that requires anyone who donates $100 or more to an organization that spends money to influence city elections to register with the city. California has its own set of rules that require candidates, committees, and major donors to disclose their election spending.

According to the complaints, Stand Up For Santa Clara spent more than $7,000 on Facebook ads opposing candidates who did not support Gillmor during the 2022 election cycle. However, council members claimed that none of the advertisements had a state-mandated FPPC number and that the group did not file any reports revealing where the money came from.

The three councilmembers requested an investigation into whether the group violated the dark money ordinance in a letter to the city on September 10, noting that the trio is “held to very high standards” when it comes to transparency during elections.

“We submit paperwork, obtain FPPC numbers, and disclose who contributes to our campaigns, as well as how and where the money is spent,” they explained. “There are checks and balances for both us candidates and other organizations.” In this case, the activities of Stand Up For Santa Clara are not subject to checks and balances, accountability, or transparency.”

The councilmembers also claimed in their complaints that the group’s mailing address is linked to the mayor. According to screenshots from an email newsletter attached to the complaints, the mailing address of Stand Up For Santa Clara is 1202 Franklin Mall. Park, Becker, and Jain stated that they sent mail to that address, but it was returned with a note from the United States Postal Service stating that the address did not exist.

“The lack of an address is like the Harry Potter platform at 9 34 at King’s Cross Station,” Becker said, referring to J.K. Rowling’s best-selling series’ magical station that transported students to Hogwarts.

According to the councilmembers, Gillmor owns the building and runs her real estate company from 1201 and 1203 Franklin Mall.

“When issues are addressed close to Mayor Gillmor’s office at Franklin Mall during City Council meetings, she recuses herself from the discussion, citing the fact that she owns the land and has a company nearby as the reason,” according to the complaints.

Concerning the address confusion, Gillmor stated that people frequently confuse the Franklin Mall business addresses with the Franklin Mall Post Office, which is located next door.

Burt Field confirmed to the Mercury News that this is exactly what happened, and that the website was created by volunteers who “simply mistyped” the address. While he was one of the organization’s founders, he stated that he stepped down from his leadership role in the last year to focus on other things.

“Stand Up is a grassroots organization that doesn’t want Santa Clara to be run by an NFL football team,” he explained. “We do not engage in political advocacy, but we believe it is critical to educate residents about how the 49ers elected and control a majority of the city council.”

The councilmembers stated in a letter to the IRS that while Stand Up For Santa Clara identifies itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on its website, a search for any documentation of its nonprofit status on the IRS website yields no results. Nonprofits are also prohibited from participating in political campaigns, according to the councilmembers.

The city could not be reached for comment on how the complaint would be handled, but FPPC spokesperson Jay Wierenga confirmed that the agency had received the complaint and that it would take 14 days to determine whether an investigation would be opened.