With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Grand Jury Returns 34-Count Indictment Against Jose Huizar
Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar speaks on the steps of L.A. City Hall in this February 2013 file photo. (David McNew/Getty Images)
A federal grand jury has returned a 34-count indictment against suspended L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar.
That indictment includes charges that Huizar led a criminal enterprise where he used his position at City Hall to enrich himself and others. Huizar is also accused of giving favorable treatment to developers who financed and facilitated bribes.
The accusations are part of a wide-ranging investigation into a pay-to-play scheme at Los Angeles City Hall. Huizar is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Los Angeles Federal Court.
According to a Justice Department news release about today's indictment:
Sponsored message
In total, Huizar allegedly agreed to accept at least $1.5 million in illicit financial benefits.
It also alleges that Huizar used "family members to launder hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, making false statements on a bank loan application and failing to report his illicit benefits on tax returns and ethics disclosure forms."
Federal prosecutors said "Huizar is the fifth person to be charged in the ongoing corruption investigation being conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office."
Four other defendants have pleaded guilty. Prosecutors said three of those defendants who are cooperating with investigators are scheduled to be sentenced next February:
Former L.A. City Councilman Mitchell Englander pleaded guilty in court on July 7 and he faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
READ MORE ON THIS ONGOING INVESTIGATION:
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
