Santa Clara’s Vice Mayor, Anthony Becker, has been convicted of perjury after being caught lying about leaking a confidential report to a San Francisco 49ers executive. The announcement came from District Attorney Jeff Rosen’s office on Thursday.
Becker, 39, joined the city council in 2020, but things have gone downhill for him lately. He lost his re-election bid last November, and his term is set to end soon.
“Lying as a public official is a serious matter,” Rosen said. “This wasn’t just a small fib or political spin—it was a crime and a breach of public trust.”
Here’s what happened: back in 2022, a grand jury created a report titled “Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Santa Clara City Council.” The report claimed Becker and some other councilmembers had an unethical relationship with the 49ers, who play at Levi’s Stadium.
The report was supposed to be kept secret until its official release on October 10, 2022. But just days before that, details started popping up in the news. This sparked an investigation into who leaked it.
Turns out, Becker was the one who shared the report with Rahul Chandhok, the 49ers’ former communications officer. Prosecutors also found out he leaked it to a small local news outlet. But when asked about it by the grand jury, Becker denied everything. Chandhok, however, later testified that Becker had sent him the report early.
To make matters more complicated, the 49ers had spent over $3.2 million supporting Becker’s political campaigns—helping him win a city council seat in 2020 and funding his failed attempt to become mayor in 2022.
Now, Becker could face up to four years in county jail. His sentencing is scheduled for January 31, 2025.
It’s a big reminder that actions have consequences, especially when you’re in a position of public trust.
