A federal jury on Wednesday found former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan guilty of bribery, racketeering, fraud and lying to FBI investigators. He is the latest official to be convicted as a result of a widespread investigation into City Hall corruption.
The convictions relate to Chan’s activities from 2013 to 2018 — first as head of the Building and Safety Department and then as deputy mayor for economic development under former Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Prosecutors say Chan, 67, and former City Councilmember Jose Huizar were involved in shaking down Chinese developers who needed help getting their real estate projects through the city’s byzantine approval process.
At the time, Huizar chaired the powerful Planning and Land Use Management Committee, which approved major projects throughout the city.
Chan accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribe money and facilitated illicit payoffs from property developers to Huizar as part of a long-running conspiracy that corrupted the approval of city real estate projects, according to prosecutors.
Former LA Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan Convicted Of Bribery
“Chan used his leadership position in City Hall to favor corrupt individuals and companies willing to play dirty,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, the top prosecutor for the Central District of California. “With today’s verdict, we send a strong message that the public will not stand for corruption and that pay-to-play politics has no place in our community.”
The FBI dubbed its investigation “Casino Loyale.”
Prosecutors said in a statement that as part of the conspiracy, Chan established a secret business…
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