Poway City Council member censured over bribery accusations – NBC 7 San Diego
Poway City Council Makes History with First-Ever Censure of Council Member
In an unprecedented move, the Poway City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to censure Council member Tony Blain amid serious allegations of misconduct, marking the first such action in the city's 45-year history.Blain, who has represented District 2 for just over a month since taking office in December, faces accusations of attempting to engage in vote trading, making threats of recall against colleagues, and using law enforcement to intimidate critics. The council member was notably absent from Tuesday's censure hearing.
According to evidence presented at the meeting, Blain allegedly offered to support Council member Peter De Hoff's bid for deputy mayor in exchange for De Hoff's vote on a special election matter. When his colleagues didn't vote as he desired, Blain reportedly threatened recall efforts against them.
"I've never seen such brazen violations of ethics," said De Hoff, who initiated the censure action. "People need to be sure the decisions of council members are based on the merits of the case and not the political ambitions of a council member."
The censure resolution also addressed allegations that Blain attempted to use law enforcement to silence critics by directing the city manager to file police reports against constituents who sent emails critical of his behavior. In one instance, Blain requested sheriff's deputies visit the homes of complainants, though the Sheriff's department concluded no crime had occurred.
Mayor Steve Vaus, addressing Blain's empty chair, stated, "Your absence here speaks louder than words. You cannot run and hide from this censure resolution. You have brought it upon yourself."
In response to the censure, Blain dismissed the allegations in an email, calling them "political lies and retaliation" and accusing Mayor Vaus of corruption related to development projects.
While the censure serves as a formal reprimand with no direct penalties, Mayor Vaus recommended Blain resign from the council to prevent further embarrassment. The San Diego District Attorney's Office has declined to comment on whether any investigation is underway.
Poway City Council member censured over bribery accusations – NBC 7 San Diego
The Poway City Council voted Tuesday to censure District 2 City Councilmember Tony Blain over accusations including bribery, vote-trading and intimidation tactics.
"This is the first and only censure in this city's 45-year history," said Poway Mayor Steve Vaus. "This is not a step we take lightly."
Blain is also accused of using law enforcement to silence his critics, which included some constituents, according to the memorandum for the censure resolution.
A censure is a formal reprimand and does not remove Blain from office. However, in an email included in the evidence, the Poway City Attorney says the councilmember's actions towards his colleagues, are "likely criminal in nature."
The councilmember took office in December after his election to the District 2 seat a month prior. Shortly after, he threatened a recall effort against another colleague if they did not vote the way he wanted, according to the memorandum.
In the evidence presented in the agenda, at least one constituent says Blain blocked them from his campaign social media accounts. Others say he bullied them on the social network, Nextdoor.
For his part, Blain says he's been harassed and threatened via email and social media.
In an email from January 17 included in the evidence, he told Poway City Manager Chris Hazeltine and City Attorney Alan Fenstermacher that he filed a complaint with the Poway Sheriff's Office over these threats. He also claimed his supporters were harassed by someone during election season.
In an emailed response to NBC 7 about the censorship, Blain said:
"This is all political lies and retaliation from Mayor Vaus who takes millions of dollars from battery plants and developers then votes YES on their developments — he is CORRUPT and Poway residents will VOTE NOV 2025 and 2026."
Blain had tense relationships with many leaders in Poway, including the mayor. He served Mayor Vaus with a recall effort on January 21, 2025.
Blain was absent from Tuesday's meeting, an absence that did not go unnoticed.
"Your absence here speaks louder than words," said Vaus. "I am not at all surprised that you were too cowardly to be here, but you cannot run and hide from this censure resolution. You have brought it upon yourself."
Poway censures new council member who has been accused of threats, vote trading
The Poway City Council on Tuesday night voted 4-0 to censure absent Council member Tony Blain amid allegations of vote trading, threatening recalls against colleagues and attempting to use law enforcement to silence critics.
It was the first censure of a council member in the city’s 45-year history, according to Mayor Steve Vaus.
Before his vote, Vaus said the purpose of a censure hearing is to give the accused an opportunity to speak in their defense. He said Blain’s absence “speaks louder than words.”
“You cannot run and hide from a censure,” said Vaus, who along with other council members addressed Blain even though he wasn’t present.
He said Blain, who has represented District 2 for just over a month, reneged on his campaign promises to improve transparency and honesty and end backroom deals with “factual evidence of criminal behavior that includes … extortion and bribery.”
“You have single-handedly destroyed your own reputation,” Vaus said.
The censure is considered a formal reprimand that carries no penalty, but serves as a public declaration that officials disapprove of Blain’s actions, officials said.
Council member Peter De Hoff, who asked to put the censure discussion on the agenda, said he initiated the action after Blain made what he called bribery and vote trading attempts against himself and Council member Christopher Pikus before he was appointed to his District 1 seat on Jan. 21. He said Blain also made recall threats and misused law enforcement resources to retaliate against dissenting members of the public.
“I’ve never seen such brazen violations of ethics,” De Hoff said while introducing the censure item. “This issue matters deeply. People need to be sure the decisions of council members are based on the merits of the case and not the political ambitions of a council member.”
Multiple emails that were connected to De Hoff’s claims were attached to the council’s agenda packet.
Among them were emails in which Blain said he would vote for De Hoff to become deputy mayor in exchange for De Hoff voting “yes” for a special election to fill the District 1 council seat being vacated by Brian Pepin. De Hoff described the email as an attempt to engage in “illegal vote trading.”
“I might be persuaded to vote Yes on you for Deputy Mayor also if you vote Yes on Special Election, since that would show you are willing to work with new Councilmembers,” Blain wrote in the Dec. 22 email to De Hoff.
The council did not hold a special election, but instead appointed Pikus to the open council seat on a 3-2 vote, with Blain and Jenny Maeda opposed. In other action at the Jan. 21 meeting, the council voted 3-2, with Blain and Maeda opposed, to name De Hoff as deputy mayor.
De Hoff said Blain also threatened to recall him and Pikus if they did not vote in favor of the special election.
“When I did not vote as he desired, he publicly stated he would follow through with those threats in a local news interview,” he said.
De Hoff said Blain did take action on his threats by starting to collect signatures for a recall.
In several instances, Blain directed the city manager to file reports with the Poway Sheriff’s Office when residents sent emails critical of his behavior to his city account, De Hoff said.
In a Jan. 3 email to City Attorney Alan Fenstermacher and City Manager Chris Hazeltine, Blain wrote, “Please assist me filing restraining order against this person. I feel unsafe. Please also assist me filing a police report as I have asked this person to stop harassing me via electronic communications per Penal Code 653m.”
Blain asked Hazeltine to send sheriff’s deputies to these residents’ homes, De Hoff said.
“When one of these individuals demanded Councilmember Blain’s resignation via email after his attempted vote trading came to light, Councilmember Blain filed a report with the Sheriff’s Department,” De Hoff wrote. “The Sheriff’s department concluded no crime occurred. It appears clear that this individual was simply voicing his dissent to Councilmember Blain’s actions in his position as an elected official, which is something any member of the community is entitled to do.”
Blain asked Sheriff’s deputies to go to the homes of those who complained about his emails to “interrogate and intimidate the individuals,” De Hoff said. Blain also used his power as a medical doctor to “issue a diagnosis to compel action to silence his dissenters,” he said.
“This pattern of manipulation is consistent with his history,” De Hoff said. “Those two people who were complaining have stopped complaining. How much trust have they lost in law enforcement and how much has law enforcement lost trust in the council members?”
Before she voted in favor of the censure, new Council member Jenny Maeda said she wanted to “clarify and dispel rumors” that she is in alliance with Blain. Maeda said she met Blain last August when he reached out to her while she was campaigning for the council against incumbent Caylin Frank. Maeda said she should have recognized a “red flag” when Blain criticized Frank and offered to donate the maximum amount to her own campaign.
“His behavior back then is not what it is now,” said Maeda, noting that she never condoned his actions or advocated for him. “His behavior began spiraling after the election.”
Two speakers, Yuri Bohlen and former Council member Anita Edmondson, encouraged Blain to resign from the council.
Edmondson said Blain’s emails were “deeply troubling and unprofessional in tone.”
De Hoff said there is ample evidence to support Blain’s censure based on violations of the city of Poway’s Code of Ethics and “apparent violations of state law.”
Vaus has said that “appropriate steps have been taken” regarding Blain. “I have full confidence in our legal system and our (district attorney’s) office,” he said.
On Tuesday, Tanya Sierra, spokesperson for the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, declined to comment on the Blain matter.
“Our office does not confirm the existence of potential investigations,” Sierra said.
Vaus closed his discussion of the censure topic by recommending that Blain resign from the council as a way to prevent further embarrassment.
“If I had the power to censure you more harshly I would not hesitate,” he said.
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