Former Santa Clara councilman sentenced to jail time after lying to jury

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - A former councilman for the City of Santa Clara was sentenced to jail time for a conviction for lying to a civil grand jury, Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky said on Friday.

Former councilman and vice mayor Anthony Becker was sentenced to 40 days in jail in addition to two years of probation, Malinsky said.

Malinsky serves on the Integrity Unit for the County of Santa Clara and prosecuted the case.

The backstory:

Becker was convicted of lying under oath to the civil grand jury back in December. He had denied leaking a draft report that was critical of him and his colleagues about their relationship with the San Francisco 49ers.

The draft report was titled "Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Santa Clara City Council" and criticized the "unethical" relationship with the sports team and accused the City Council of putting the team's interest above the city's.

The report was leaked to Rahul Chandhok, then-communications & public affairs officer and lobbyist for the 49ers, Malinsky said. The deputy DA added the report was considered confidential and was shared several days before it was supposed to be published.

Becker denied to the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury, but Chandhok would later testify under oath before the criminal grand jury that Becker sent him the report. Becker also told a colleague he leaked the report to a media outlet, according to Malinsky.

What they're saying:

"Public officials are entrusted by voters to honestly advocate for the people they serve. Mr. Becker breached that trust," said Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen in a statement Friday.

"When a person takes elected office and an oath and then abuses that office and breaks that oath…that person is essentially saying to the people who elected them, ‘I am above you, I am above the law,’" Rosen added in a statement via social media. "And that will not stand and that has not stood."

The other side:

Becker resigned a day after he was found guilty back in December 2024.

In his resignation letter, Becker expressed his gratitude for his time in the position and extended his thanks to city staff.

"I'm proud to say that, together, we achieved remarkable milestones, including ending costly litigation, significantly reducing our deficit, putting a successful infrastructure bond initiative on the ballot, and generating new revenue streams," Becker said.

In his letter he did not address his conviction.

KTVU reached out to Becker's attorney Friday night but did not hear back before publication.

However, according to the East Bay Times, Becker apologized "to the people of Santa Clara for this long ordeal" during his sentencing Friday.

"I do respect this court, I do respect the process, and I do understand the verdict," Becker told Judge Javier Alcala, who presided over the case, the media outlet reported.

What's next:

Because of this conviction, Becker will also not be allowed to run for public office again in California.