The Truth About Raj Salwan
Part of campaigns these days is ‘oppo’ research, understanding your opponent’s weaknesses. Below is what we found out about Raj Salwan.
Property Holdings
Raj Salwan is a real estate developer with over $90 million in real estate assets in Alameda County. We believe it is a conflict of interest to have a major propery owner making decisions related to land use. See the complete list of the Salwan family holdings here.
Yelp Reviews
Raj has gone to great lengths to hide the Yelp reviews for his veterinary clinic, creating fictitious businesses even with their own web site. He has also threatened legal action against people who have left negative Yelp reviews. Read the exhaustive analysis of his deceptive handling of his Yelp reviews here. UPDATE (7/13/24): Yelp removed his fictitious businesses.
Landlord Advocacy
Raj Salwan owns a number of rental properites with over 250 units in Fremont and other parts of Alameda County. A number of these are run down and show poor maintenance. He also has a pro-landlord voting record which, again, is not surprising since it is in his best financial interest to make votes that financially benefit landlords. See the complete list of the rental properties and some photos here.
Veterinary Board Citation
You don’t need to take the Yelp reviewers word for the conditions of Raj’s vet business. In 2022, the Veterinary Medical Board of California issued a citation to Raj Salwan’s veterinary practice. It notes that during an inspection “all animal cages were deemed unsanitary”. This and five other violations were found to not have been corrected on subsequent inspections. See the details of the citation here.
Developer Advocacy
As a major landowner, it’s not surprising that Raj Salwan is a developer himself with proposed projects in Fremont and elsewhere. His voting record as a Councilmember has been regularly in favor of approving projects that developers have brought before the Council. Also, because of his significant real estate holdings he has had to recuse himself over 60 times.
Facebook Reviews
A review of the 53 Facebook reviews left for TriCity Veterinary Clinic found 43 that appear to be from fake Facebook accounts that were created for the sole purpose of leaving a positive review. Three of the older profile photos, including one of actress Rose McGowan, were found to be taken from another website. The newer profile photos are almost all of the same photo format and are quite suspicious. Read the full details here.
Campaign Finance
Everyone knows that money is the key driver in much of American politics at the national, state and local level. It’s not a surprise that Raj Salwan has used his wealth to gain political influence and endorsements. Read more here.
Note: While we are obviously biased and opinionated on this topic, we have strived to show only factual information that can be verified by independent, verifiable, external sources.