By Robert Haugh
Indicted Santa Clara City Councilman Anthony Becker’s trial starts in 24 days. That is unless he successfully gets another delay.
Becker was indicted on April 14, 2023, for leaking a Grand Jury report to the 49ers and lying about it. That was 491 days ago.
Becker’s team has tried to come up with a variety of defenses for Becker during numerous hearings.
They’ve tried to argue that Becker is being selectively prosecuted and that Mayor Lisa Gillmor and Councilmember Kathy Watanabe should be prosecuted too for leaking the report. But they’ve provided no solid evidence.
This move isn’t a surprise. Becker is known for denying things he’s done even when there’s physical proof. That’s what happened when Becker lied that he was the author of an official memo, but Silicon Valley Voice reporter Carolyn Schuk actually wrote it.
Coincidentally, Schuk is the reporter who got the leaked Grand Jury report from Becker, according to Grand Jury testimony.
Becker is also known for trying to point fingers at others to deny his own actions. According to the Grand Jury testimony of Councilmember Suds Jain and Becker campaign volunteer David Andre, Becker told them to lie and blame the leak on Gillmor.
But since that defense might not be working, Becker’s defense team is trying a new tactic. They’re claiming that Becker could be the victim of a Grand Jury conspiracy. Yup, no kidding.
This tactic has come out In recent stories in publications that are 49er-friendly and Becker-friendly: the Silicon Valley Voice and San Jose Spotlight.
Becker’s Public Defender Chris Montoya has suggested that the Grand Jury has been leaking reports to Gillmor and there might be a “mole.”
That may sound like a conspiracy theory. It came from a claim from Jain about this year’s Grand Jury report which has nothing to do with the Becker case involving a 2022 Grand Jury report.
Jain doesn’t have a problem with creating conspiracy theories, he told Santa Clara News Online last year.
Attacking the Grand Jury has been a consistent Becker strategy. But it’s not new.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Civil Grand Jurors were followed, investigated, and harassed in 2022 after Becker leaked the report to Schuk. Wow.
Silicon Valley Voice editor Angie Tolliver tried to assist Becker in connecting with 49ers executive Rahul Chandhok about the leaked report.
Chandhok implemented a plan not only attacked the Civil Grand Jury report but its members, too.
It looks like Becker’s team is using the same 49ers playbook to attack the Grand Jury.
THE FINAL SAY
I am always willing to admit I was wrong.
ONeill deserves a second look. Why?
Park has been a colossal mistake. A badly behaved adult child. I have put out there a dozen issues I have with ONeill. But Santa Clars is worth believing in, and I think Teresa deserves a chance.
Cox? Dont know her nor Chandra. But I like what I see. They both get it. Becker, a sheeo in Trump clothing.
Kertes
He has the right stuff. The issues with the 49ers are Jain’s making. Kertes is a breadth of fresh air.
Watanabe for school board. Again, Kathy is a person that has tried to make a difference. Thst gets credit.
Fong?
4 different houses in four different districts for four different elected positions. Lisa has missed a golden opportunity. On Fong’s silly career moves, LG could have made four broker commissions!!
Go.for Owens
The continued hysteria of Becker and Suds Jain.
It’s obvious the delis to help the witnesses for the prosecution: Chandick, Jain and Becker before the election and football season.
I have never agreed with Mr Haugh, and I believe he benefitted unfairly from the stadium including Wrestlemania. As far denanding an apolovy, Mr Haugh owes no apology or retraction. He has a right to say what he says. I will share an emal I rceived from Jain ignoribg my sub teacher wirk for 13 years, and his official email that violated ethucal standards. Is Park apologizing for using a kids book to humiliate Kirk Vartan who has never been my friend, but Kirk deserves respect for being a dedicated volunteer.
Why should anyone trust anything said by Suds Jain? He has not served the residents of his district or Santa Clara at large since his first day on the city council, and he most certainly does not deserve any apology or retraction. Notice that he says “Anthony Becker never asked me to lie for him”. Why add the qualifier “for him”? Shouldn’t he have just said “Anthony Becker never asked me to lie” instead? Sham(e) on you, Suds Jain.
Just drove down Lafayette Street. No lie! DAVID KERTES signs on every corner from El Camino to Benton!
Go David! And there’s tons all over the DT!
Suds, time to drop out!
Hey Suds,
How about an apology for calling the readers of this blog “dumb” and for kicking a volunteer commissioner off parks and rec for no other reason than that he exercised his free speech rights and you got your feelings hurt.
Kertes is a fresh face. I believe this fall you ahould all oppose every incumbent except Bob Owens for West Valley as he is well respected
His opponent Paul Fong was the recepient of 49er freebies.
The animosity and distrust over the decade between myself and the publisher of this blog and many of its well known guest authors. But today I am looking beyond that. I believe there is a point of agreement we have. The readers of this blog are intelligent people. They can see a common matter that must addressed.
Why are we here at this point with Becker?
Suds Jain in December 2020 engaged in 67 secret meetings with 49ers.
Becker and Park came along.
Is a single mom living with 4 kids on Agate entitled to 67 single meetings with three council members?
Not to Jain.
But I insist that single mom is more worthy.
I know LG. She would put that mom on a higher status than Becker.
The grand jury looked at it.
Well, they get to do that.
Becker leaked and lied, even tried to blame LG
To you readers, you are smarter than me. Isn’t what Becker did wrong?
Becker and his legal
team are really milking
this. The hubris shown
by all of them is insulting
to the grand jury and
court system.
It’s to end this fiasco.
Over the years, I have observed that Robert Haugh often spins the facts to serve his benefactor, Lisa Gillmor. I’ve noticed that he very often tip-toes to the line between truth and falsehoods but is careful not to cross it — sometimes he actually does. This time he has clearly crossed the line.
He states:
“According to the Grand Jury testimony of Councilmember Suds Jain and Becker campaign volunteer David Andre, Becker told them to lie and blame the leak on Gillmor.”
By saying “them” he is saying that Becker asked me to lie. That is where Haugh has crossed the line; Anthony Becker never asked me to lie for him.
I demand a retraction and an apology .
I agree with Suds on this matter. Unless Robert is trying to allege that Suds has testified that Becker asked him to lie then Robert should edit or retract or clarify that the allegation that it was David Andre who testified to this if he did testify to this.
Suds, “I demand a retraction and an apology.”
It’s time to wash away the Suds.