The San Francisco 49ers NFL American football team has launched legal action against the Santa Clara authorities, claiming that leading officials in the Californian city “falsely accused” the franchise of violating a contract regarding its Levi’s Stadium home.
According to Mercury News, the lawsuit, filed in Santa Clara Count Superior Court, requests that the city sign documents to verify no breaches took place.
Last year, Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor ordered an audit of stadium finances after stating her concerns that taxpayer money was being spent on the venue in violation of a voter-approved measure.
While the team insists it invited auditors to the stadium, Gillmor said the franchise has refused to cooperate with the probe, adding that some documents required are either being withheld or do not exist.
The 49ers have denied any wrongdoing in the case and have now launched the lawsuit in an effort to clear the team’s name.
“Defendants have falsely accused (the 49ers management company) of having failed to perform its obligations under the Stadium Management Agreement, despite the absence of any good faith basis for such charges,” the lawsuit said.
“The Stadium Authority has embarked on a scheme to concoct and fabricate false accusation of breach or non-performance … to create a pretext for terminating the Stadium Management Agreement.”
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