At the conclusion of an in-person debate between Santa Clara County district attorney candidates Friday, the leg of incumbent Jeff Rosen tripped challenger Daniel Chung as the former was bending over to pick up a briefcase and the latter was walking back to his chair.
Both candidates agree that contact was made. They disagree on whether it was intentional.
"Based on everything I know, I believe it was intentional," Chung told SFGATE. "It's based on a pattern of a lack of impulse control, and he's physically acting out against me."
"After a candidate forum, as they were both walking in a very narrow space, DA Rosen accidentally bumped into Mr. Chung," Rosen adviser Leo Briones wrote in an email to SFGATE. "After the forum ended, DA Rosen shook Mr. Chung's hand and apologized."
The third candidate at the debate, Sajid Khan, is the one who first widely shared the video of the incident. Immediately after Chung tripped, Khan can be heard asking Rosen, "Did you just trip him?" to which Rosen replies, "No, he just tripped."
"From my vantage point, which I could see clearly from, I saw Mr. Rosen stick his leg out in an unnatural and unnecessary way," Khan told SFGATE. "I believe it was an intentional trip."
"Jeff, instead of being apologetic and saying it was an accident, gets defensive and hostile," Chung said. "He then engages in quasi-gaslighting behavior, saying, 'No, Daniel just tripped,' as if I’m a stumbling buffoon going around tripping on my own. This is not the behavior of someone unintentionally tripping me, this is the behavior of someone who knew what he was doing."
Chung said additional context from the debate itself informs his belief that the trip was intentional. The video shows that prior to the trip, Rosen did not shake Chung's outstretched arm for a handshake. The race has been heated: Chung has repeatedly accused Rosen of conflicts of interest and impropriety, and Chung is suing Rosen alleging retaliation from when Chung worked in Rosen's office.
"I know I criticized him heavily, but it’s a debate, we’re professionals, and we should shake hands and move on," Chung said. "We don’t have to be friends, but we need to shake hands and move on. He refused, and there was a pregnant pause at the end of the debate with my hand hanging in the air for several seconds. I was flabbergasted. It's a basic norm of dignity and humanity to shake someone’s hand after a debate."
Chung, who is styling himself as a candidate that will be tougher on crime than Rosen and Khan, said that Rosen does not deserve the benefit of the doubt over the incident. Chung used to work in the district attorney's office under Rosen, and in June 2021, alleged that he was pushed out of the office after writing an op-ed accusing Rosen of several missteps including a finance violation.
He also accused Rosen of putting up "wanted posters" of Chung around the office in an attempt to intimidate him. In an email, Briones said Chung's accusations against Rosen are "simply false," and that "Mr. Chung was first disciplined by the DA's Office for using his official title without authorization, which violates the Office’s policy and procedure manual." Briones alleged that "Mr. Chung was released from the DA Office for another incident of unauthorized and inappropriate conduct."
Chung said that he heavily criticized Khan in the debate for being "soft on crime" (Chung described Khan as "to the left of Chesa Boudin" to SFGATE), but the two still shook hands and also had a conversation with Khan's mother at the end of the debate.
Khan said that Rosen has been suggesting in past debates that Chung is mentally unwell. Khan added that such characterizations are "unfair and rooted in abusive and retaliatory tactics against Mr. Chung," as well as a "clear pattern of bullying and intimidation."
Rosen previously filed a whistleblower complaint against Khan when Khan wrote a blog post criticizing Rosen for disproportionately prosecuting Black and Latino people.
Briones wrote in an email that "Mr. Kahn made not so veiled threats against the DA Office, including a map of the office," in the blog post, and that "DA Rosen withdrew [the complaint] after the threat of violence had subsided."
The three candidates will appear on the June 7 primary ballot, and the top two candidates will advance to the general election in November. A poll from January paid for by Khan's campaign found Rosen leading with 20% support, Chung in second with 10% and Khan in third with 8%. Nearly two-thirds of voters said they were undecided.
The three candidates are slated to appear at another debate Monday night hosted by Stanford Law School. What might happen there?
"We'll see," Khan said. "I’m looking forward to being able to participate in the democratic process and to project my vision. It's exciting Stanford Law is hosting. I hope Mr. Rosen is respectful and maintains appropriative behavior. I know I will."
Both candidates agree that contact was made. They disagree on whether it was intentional.
"Based on everything I know, I believe it was intentional," Chung told SFGATE. "It's based on a pattern of a lack of impulse control, and he's physically acting out against me."
"After a candidate forum, as they were both walking in a very narrow space, DA Rosen accidentally bumped into Mr. Chung," Rosen adviser Leo Briones wrote in an email to SFGATE. "After the forum ended, DA Rosen shook Mr. Chung's hand and apologized."
The third candidate at the debate, Sajid Khan, is the one who first widely shared the video of the incident. Immediately after Chung tripped, Khan can be heard asking Rosen, "Did you just trip him?" to which Rosen replies, "No, he just tripped."
"From my vantage point, which I could see clearly from, I saw Mr. Rosen stick his leg out in an unnatural and unnecessary way," Khan told SFGATE. "I believe it was an intentional trip."
"Jeff, instead of being apologetic and saying it was an accident, gets defensive and hostile," Chung said. "He then engages in quasi-gaslighting behavior, saying, 'No, Daniel just tripped,' as if I’m a stumbling buffoon going around tripping on my own. This is not the behavior of someone unintentionally tripping me, this is the behavior of someone who knew what he was doing."
Chung said additional context from the debate itself informs his belief that the trip was intentional. The video shows that prior to the trip, Rosen did not shake Chung's outstretched arm for a handshake. The race has been heated: Chung has repeatedly accused Rosen of conflicts of interest and impropriety, and Chung is suing Rosen alleging retaliation from when Chung worked in Rosen's office.
"I know I criticized him heavily, but it’s a debate, we’re professionals, and we should shake hands and move on," Chung said. "We don’t have to be friends, but we need to shake hands and move on. He refused, and there was a pregnant pause at the end of the debate with my hand hanging in the air for several seconds. I was flabbergasted. It's a basic norm of dignity and humanity to shake someone’s hand after a debate."
Chung, who is styling himself as a candidate that will be tougher on crime than Rosen and Khan, said that Rosen does not deserve the benefit of the doubt over the incident. Chung used to work in the district attorney's office under Rosen, and in June 2021, alleged that he was pushed out of the office after writing an op-ed accusing Rosen of several missteps including a finance violation.
He also accused Rosen of putting up "wanted posters" of Chung around the office in an attempt to intimidate him. In an email, Briones said Chung's accusations against Rosen are "simply false," and that "Mr. Chung was first disciplined by the DA's Office for using his official title without authorization, which violates the Office’s policy and procedure manual." Briones alleged that "Mr. Chung was released from the DA Office for another incident of unauthorized and inappropriate conduct."
Chung said that he heavily criticized Khan in the debate for being "soft on crime" (Chung described Khan as "to the left of Chesa Boudin" to SFGATE), but the two still shook hands and also had a conversation with Khan's mother at the end of the debate.
Khan said that Rosen has been suggesting in past debates that Chung is mentally unwell. Khan added that such characterizations are "unfair and rooted in abusive and retaliatory tactics against Mr. Chung," as well as a "clear pattern of bullying and intimidation."
Rosen previously filed a whistleblower complaint against Khan when Khan wrote a blog post criticizing Rosen for disproportionately prosecuting Black and Latino people.
Briones wrote in an email that "Mr. Kahn made not so veiled threats against the DA Office, including a map of the office," in the blog post, and that "DA Rosen withdrew [the complaint] after the threat of violence had subsided."
The three candidates will appear on the June 7 primary ballot, and the top two candidates will advance to the general election in November. A poll from January paid for by Khan's campaign found Rosen leading with 20% support, Chung in second with 10% and Khan in third with 8%. Nearly two-thirds of voters said they were undecided.
The three candidates are slated to appear at another debate Monday night hosted by Stanford Law School. What might happen there?
"We'll see," Khan said. "I’m looking forward to being able to participate in the democratic process and to project my vision. It's exciting Stanford Law is hosting. I hope Mr. Rosen is respectful and maintains appropriative behavior. I know I will."
