Bay Area leaders go nuclear on 49ers owner Jed York about prostitution bust: ‘Give the money back. Open the file.’
Bay Area Democrats who received campaign cash from 49ers owner Jed York are facing fresh pressure to give it back, amid questions about his prostitution-related arrest and push to unseal the records.
The campaign takes aim at Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Sam Liccardo and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), calling on politicians and political organizations to return or donate contributions from York and 49ers-affiliated businesses.
“Give the money back. Unseal the arrest record,” declares the petition at jedyorkexposed.com.
Its message to Democratic recipients is pointed: The organizers want the money out of their campaign coffers and the public records surrounding York’s arrest released.
The petition was allegedly created by Holly Roberts, a former Charter Review Committee member; Helen Narcisco, a former Senior Advisory Committee member; and Carolyn McAllister, a former Civil Service Commission member.
The website says the checks were written before York’s arrest and that recipients have not said whether they will return them.
The page lists a $5,700 contribution from York to Khanna for Congress dated May 14, 2024, and a $3,300 contribution to Liccardo for Congress dated June 14, 2024. It also identifies a $2,500 York contribution to the DCCC, alongside contributions from DeBartolo Corp. and 49ers affiliates to California candidates.
The group’s demands extend beyond campaign cash. It wants Columbiana County to unseal the full arrest record, including the police report, booking file and court record, arguing that the public should have access to the documents.
York was fined $500,000 by the NFL and suspended for six games following a prostitution-related arrest. The organizers want NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to reopen the case and impose a stiffer financial penalty, arguing that the existing punishment fails to reflect the wealth of a team owner.
The league’s treatment of coaches provides another point of contention. Mike Vrabel, Aaron Glenn and Nick Sirianni have each faced $250,000 fines placed on hold for sideline arguments with referees — penalties that look very different when set against the financial hit imposed on York.
Mike Florio, Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Talk, has questioned the NFL’s disciplinary math, highlighting the contrast between the coaches’ fines and York’s penalty.
Florio described York’s fine as “a mere $500,000” following a prostitution-related arrest, while arguing that the coach fines were “over the top.”