A former Poway city council member accused of perjury and soliciting a bribe — prosecutors allege he asked a council colleague to swap votes — pleaded not guilty in San Diego Superior Court on Monday.
Tony Blain, who resigned from his council seat last fall, is also accused of destruction of public documents and misdemeanor petty theft, according to the criminal complaint filed in October. He is not in custody, and faces a maximum sentence of five years and 10 months in prison if convicted as charged, according to a spokesperson at the District Attorney’s Office.
“He takes the allegations made against him seriously and looks forward to defending against them in the weeks and months ahead,” David Shapiro, one of Blain’s defense attorneys, said following the hearing. “Despite the criminal charges, and last November’s recall election results, he will always stand up for the citizens of Poway.”
No new details of the allegations were made public during the arraignment at the Central Courthouse in downtown San Diego. The charges against Blain, 59, followed a monthslong investigation by the District Attorney’s Office. They were filed about a week before a special election to recall Blain from his seat representing Poway’s District 2.
Former Poway City Councilman Tony Blain,R, leaves the court room after an arraignment hearing on Monday, January 12, 2026 at the Central Courthouse in Downtown San Diego. (Photo by Sandy Huffaker for The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Blain resigned the morning after the November special election to remove him from office received 80% support from voters. In his resignation letter, Blain said he was unable to fulfill his council duties because he is an active U.S. Army Reserve doctor. He had previously said the recall effort against him was due to him challenging the status quo.
Investigators said that about two months before Blain won election to the City Council in 2024, he falsely represented himself as a city councilman to the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission.
The criminal complaint alleges that after he was in office, he agreed to vote in favor of appointing Councilmember Peter De Hoff as deputy mayor in exchange for De Hoff’s vote to hold a special election for an open seat, rather than having that seat filled by appointment. Several emails he sent — one of which threatened De Hoff with a recall effort if he did not vote in favor of a special election for the open seat — were included in a council meeting agenda.
Prosecutors also allege Blain “knowingly destroyed communications relating to city business that were subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act and took affirmative steps to evade compliance” with the act.
The petty theft count alleges he stole campaign signs in July, prosecutors said.
Blain’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 13.