• Loading stock data...
Monday, October 6, 2025

Santa Clara Politician Convicted of Perjury in 49ers Document Leak Case

Anthony Becker was accused of leaking a confidential government document and lying about it to investigators.

Levi's Stadium exterior
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

A jury convicted a Santa Clara politician Thursday of perjury after he lied about leaking a classified document to the 49ers.

Anthony Becker, 39, faces up to four years in prison after his verdict in Santa Clara County Superior Court. The jury found Becker leaked a confidential grand jury report about the 49ers’ involvement in local politics to a 49ers executive. He is found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of failing to perform an official duty, and another felony charge for lying about the leak under oath.

The verdict isn’t too surprising after Rahul Chandhok, the 49ers’ former EVP and political strategist, testified last month that he received the document from Becker in October 2022 in the days before it was set to be published. Another city councilmember, Sudhanshu Jain, testified that Becker admitted he gave the document to a reporter during his 2022 mayoral campaign. The report was published in full by 49er-friendly local media outlets before the release date.

Becker and Jain are two of the five members of Santa Clara City Council whose campaign was backed by the football team, dubbed the “49ers Five.” The grand jury report found those five members “put the 49ers’ interests ahead of the city’s interests.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the team told FOS, “We respect the outcome of the legal process and look forward to continuing to work with Santa Clara to maximize the benefits of Levi’s Stadium for the community.”

He ran for mayor with $2.5 million of support from the 49ers against incumbent Lisa Gillmor, who has been an outspoken critic of the team in a yearslong legal fight over the dollars flowing from the publicly owned stadium. During the campaign, the 49ers paid for attack ads on Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who donated to Gillmor because his real-estate development firm owns land across from Levi’s Stadium.

“Anthony Becker’s conviction highlights a deeply troubling and consistent pattern of misconduct and betrayal of public trust in Santa Clara,” Gillmor tells Front Office Sports. “As multiple Grand Jury reports have documented, it’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to undue influence and lack of transparency in the way the City Council and some City staff interact with the 49er organization.”

After Becker lost the election, a criminal grand jury started an investigation. Becker denied sharing the document and accused Gillmor of doing so, and lied to the district attorney’s office, too, the jury found. The investigators gave Chandhok immunity, and he told them that Becker gave him and local media the report. Chandhok has admitted that the team began a PR campaign to discredit the report once they got it in hopes of helping Becker win the election.

Becker ran for his city council seat again this fall without the help of the 49ers, but picked up only 22% of the vote. Another 49ers opponent, Kelly Cox, won in a landslide.

—Dennis Young contributed reporting.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Mark Sanchez Charged With New Felony in Indianapolis Case

The broadcaster and ex-NFL quarterback faces up to six years in prison.

NFL London Fans Get Partial Refunds After Ticket App Glitches

Fans experienced delays entering the Vikings-Browns game.

Bad Bunny, U.S. Officials Trade Barbs Over Super Bowl Halftime Show

DHS Secretary Noem attacks the choice, while Bad Bunny responds on SNL.

CFB’s New Parity Era: Penn State, Texas Top-25 Exits Signal Shift

Penn State and Texas fall entirely out of the top-25 rankings.

Featured Today

Paul Cartier

Sports Organists Are Still Thriving in the Era of Raucous Arena Music

“When they walk out and they see a real organ guy, it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
Sep 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Jackson Chourio (11) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field.
October 4, 2025

Milwaukee Moneyball: Brewers Are Beating MLB’s Deeper Pockets

Milwaukee is holding its own against big-budget competitors.
Kōloa Rum Company Rum Rusher
September 27, 2025

Panthers Bubbly, Jets Wine, Manning Whiskey: The Sports Booze Boom

A sommelier dives into the sports booze trend—and tries Jets wine.
Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers fans wave Terrible Towels against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium
September 26, 2025

Steelers’ Irish Roots Are Deeper Than NFL Dublin Game

The Steelers have history and the foundation for a future in Ireland.

Trump Visit Adds Political Theater to Ryder Cup’s Opening Day

President Donald Trump attended the Ryder Cup on Friday afternoon.
Elizabeth Warren
exclusive
September 24, 2025

Sens. Warren, Sanders Press ESPN, NFL, MLB Over Media Deal Concerns

Four prominent members of Congress are worried about ESPN’s deepening ties to leagues.
Signs promoting the FIFA World Cup Final coming to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on Wednesday Feb. 7, 2024. The World Cup is held every four years and the 2026 World Cup Final match will be played at MetLife Stadium.
September 26, 2025

Trump Says He’ll Move World Cup If He Deems Host Cities Unsafe

The president has vowed to lower crime in cities.
Sponsored

How Soccer Star Jozy Altidore Became a Buffalo Bills Owner

Jozy Altidore discusses building a business legacy off the field.
July 18, 2024; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State, speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The final day of the RNC featured a keynote address by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
September 19, 2025

At U.K. Sports Conference, Mike Pompeo Speaks Mostly About Trump

The former Trump official says he used to be a “mediocre power forward.”
Donald Trump
exclusive
September 17, 2025

Trump’s Unprecedented Super Bowl Visit Cost Secret Service More Than $120K

Trump was the first president to attend the Super Bowl.
September 15, 2025

Trump Push to End Quarterly Earnings Has Major Sports Ramifications

U.S. President Trump proposes moving to semi-annual reporting for public companies.
September 12, 2025

NFL, Yankees, Cubs Hold Moments of Silence for Charlie Kirk

The Green Bay moment was an NFL decision, a spokesperson told FOS.