In the most recent incident, Le is accusing Doan of bullying tactics after he sent a cease and desist letter to local Vietnamese-language AM radio station KVVN<\/a> over a comment made during a paid segment promoting her campaign that broadcast on Oct. 17. Doan said the comment, which reportedly suggested his theft convictions resulted in jail time, are false and defamatory.<\/p>\n Le also objects to an incident last month during which representatives from Doan\u2019s campaign hand delivered a letter to her home demanding she retract the attack ad.<\/p>\n Le described the unexpected home visit that took place amid a highly charged campaign as a jarring experience, and reported it to the San Jose Police Department. She did not allege any specific crime or point to any threatening behavior that took place during the encounter.<\/p>\n An SJPD spokesperson confirmed officers received a report related to the incident, and determined no crime had taken place.<\/p>\n Following Doan\u2019s letter to KVVN, the station instructed Le to cease \u201call personal attacks\u201d and to no longer make any references to Doan, according to emails obtained by San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.<\/p>\n \u201cThat instruction restricted my ability to discuss a public official during an election,\u201d Le said during her news conference. \u201cCombined with the legal demands and home visit, it raises serious concerns about pressure on political speech.\u201d<\/p>\n Doan has dismissed the allegations of intimidation, instead framing his response as a legitimate attempt to correct false claims leveled against him.<\/p>\n \u201cVan Le has spent this campaign manufacturing controversy instead of offering solutions for District 7,\u201d Doan told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cAn officer\u2019s time should go to real emergencies and keeping our neighborhoods safe, not to what I believe was a desperate campaign stunt.\u201d<\/p>\n The comment at the heart of the latest controversy was made by a Le supporter about 20 minutes into her hour-long radio broadcast. Her campaign purchased the air time from KVVN.<\/p>\n \u201cBien Doan is a criminal who has been arrested and imprisoned,\u201d the speaker said in a recorded clip played during the segment, according to Doan\u2019s letter to the station. The comment appears to stem from Le\u2019s attack ad, which included jail time figures related to Doan\u2019s two convictions.<\/p>\n Doan has repeatedly denied ever serving time in jail. The underlying court records from his misdemeanor cases, both of which took place in the mid-80s, have largely been purged, making it difficult to piece together the precise outcome of the decades-old trials.<\/p>\n However, while not conclusive, the remaining court documents seem to back up Doan\u2019s claim that he served community service in lieu of the jail terms, according to a criminal law expert who reviewed the filings.<\/p>\n \u201cMy letter addressed a specific, false allegation that Van has consistently made, requesting a review of the broadcast and an opportunity to correct the record before Election Day,\u201d Doan said. \u201cVan Le already possessed the facts, yet continued to intentionally publish these false and malicious statements to defame me.\u201d<\/p>\n J. R. Arbona, a spokesperson for Pham Radio Communication, the owner of KVVN, said the station initiated an investigation after it was informed of a possible \u201cpersonal attack\u201d made on air.<\/p>\n \u201cThe policy of Pham Radio Communication \u2026 conforms to the FCC regulations regarding (personal attacks),\u201d Arbona told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight.<\/p>\n As Doan and Le have campaigned for the District 7 seat \u2014 which encompasses portions of central and East San Jose and is home to a sizable Vietnamese population<\/a> \u2014 they have sought to position themselves as the best choice to unify a fractious district that has been shaken by waves of controversy and division in recent years.<\/p>\n While the bitter rivals<\/a> have sniped at each other in mailers and campaign statements, the candidates have not squared off in a public forum since a debate that took place before the June primary<\/a>. A debate and a radio program that would have featured the candidates were canceled in recent weeks after Doan pulled out of the events.<\/p>\n \u201cMy right to speak does not depend on your permission,\u201d Le said. \u201cNeither does the public\u2019s right to question you.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/123_1-e1792784130683.jpg\")
A representative of District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan\u2019s campaign, Van Nguyen, delivers his demand letter to challenger Van Le (right) at her home on Sept. 4, days after the attack ad against Doan first surfaced. Photo courtesy of Doan\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n![\"Campaign](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_7656-1024x768.jpg\")
The campaign for the District 7 City Council seat has become a grudge match between two bitter rivals, each of whom is attempting to convince voters they can unite the district after years of divisive controversies. Photo by Keith Menconi.<\/p>\n![\"In-line](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1792812732_651_interactive-321838904008.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n