Santa Clara City Councilman and Vice Mayor Anthony Becker has resigned from the council a day after being found guilty of perjury.
According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, Becker leaked the previously secret Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report to a 49ers employee in October 2022. He then lied under oath to the civil grand jury about the leak.
The report, "Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Santa Clara City Council," alleged unethical connections between several City Council members and the 49ers, who have Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
Becker was accused of leaking the report just days before its scheduled release, sharing it with the then 49ers' chief communications and public affairs officer Rahul Chandhok, and a local media outlet. In addition to the felony perjury charge, he faced a misdemeanor charge for failing to uphold his duty to keep the draft report confidential.
"It was always a dream of mine to be a part of the government process, creating our city's policies, enhancing development, and shaping the City's direction," Becker said in his resignation letter. "I'm deeply grateful for the experience, knowledge gained, and relationships built with the exceptional city staff and residents over the past ten years. It was the greatest honor, joy and privilege to serve as your representative every clay since 2018, whether I was on the City Council or the Planning Commission. I will miss being of service to the people of this wonderful city."
Becker's resignation was made effective immediately.
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During his month-long trial, Becker's attorneys attempted to argue and raise doubts about Chandhok's trustworthiness and questioned the quality of the district attorney's investigation. Chandhok became one of the prosecution's key witnesses in the trial.
Becker's lawyers filed multiple motions on Tuesday, including a motion to declare a mistrial.
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In its request for a mistrial, the defense highlighted several issues in the case. They pointed out that the prosecution had lost an audio recording made by the lead investigator on an iPhone while searching Chandhok’s home for evidence. Additionally, the defense argued that questioning of some witnesses during the trial was improper.
Additionally, attorneys for Becker argued that the prosecution provided additional evidence late in the case and that the defense was not allowed to bring in certain witnesses.
Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala denied the motion on Wednesday.
Becker -- who ran for re-election in the November election but was unsuccessful in his bid -- will be sentenced on Jan. 31.
According to the city, the District 6 council seat will remain vacant till Dec 17, when the councilmember-elect will take office.
