AGUIRRE PUSHES TO SUE NFL OVER CHARGERS

Former city attorney says S.D. could use same strategy as St. Louis, which won settlement over Rams’ move

Days after writing an opinion piece for The San Diego UnionTribune that urged city officials to sue the National Football League and the Chargers over the team’s move to Los Angeles, former City Attorney Michael Aguirre said he will take up the fight if Mayor Todd Gloria fails to act.

Aguirre, who was the elected city attorney from 2004 to 2008, advised the mayor in a letter Friday that he would proceed with a lawsuit of his own next Friday if the city does not pursue its own legal complaint.

“There is established legal precedent for the city of San Diego to recover taxpayer losses from the NFL and the Chargers, as was done under similar circumstances by the city of St. Louis and the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority,” Aguirre wrote.

“We write to confirm that you, as mayor of the city of San Diego, have decided not to take any legal action to recover damages the city suffered as a result of the Chargers relocation to Los Angeles starting in the 2017 football season,” he added.

The Chargers played in San Diego for more than 50 years before moving to Los Angeles in 2017. The move came after years of community debate over a new stadium and a spate of proposals to keep them here.

The Mayor’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Aguirre’s letter. But in an email last month to a person who asked Gloria about the possibility of suing the NFL, the mayor said it was too late to proceed with a lawsuit.

“Unfortunately, previous administrations in the city of San Diego twice waived the city’s rights to any claim against the NFL and the

Chargers for relocation after the 2008 NFL season,” Gloria responded to the man.

“The attached 2004 and 2006 lease amendments contain this information,” the mayor added in his email. “Thank you again for your email and for staying engaged on this important issue.”

Debate over a possible lawsuit against the NFL and the longtime San Diego home team resurfaced in December, after the city of St. Louis won a $790 million settlement over a claim filed in the wake of the Rams’ move to Los Angeles.