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.
Suspended L.A. Councilman José Huizar May Need New Defense Attorneys In Corruption Trial
Suspended L.A. City Councilmember José Huizar leaves federal court in downtown Los Angeles. He appeared along with federal public defenders for a trial setting hearing. (Libby Denkmann/LAist)
Suspended L.A. City Councilman José Huizar will have to prove he needs a federal public defender before his corruption trial can proceed, a federal judge said today.
During a hearing to set a trial date, Judge John F. Walter asked Huizar and his attorneys to provide a complete balance sheet laying out his financial status, including home equity, proceeds from a rental property and any liabilities.
Huizar’s initial application for public counsel was denied in June, but on July 24 a magistrate judge ordered the appointment of taxpayer-funded attorneys and required the councilman to contribute $3,000 a month for his defense.
Huizar appeared in-person in the courtroom in downtown Los Angeles, just a block from City Hall, where he once chaired the council’s powerful Planning and Land Use Management Committee. He now faces dozens of racketeering charges, including money laundering, bribery, wire fraud and falsifying financial reports.
Sponsored message
Prosecutors say Huizar accepted $1.5 million in gifts, campaign donations and cash bribes to clear the way for major development projects in his downtown district. He pleaded “not guilty” on Monday.
Suspended L.A. City Councilman José Huizar arrives in federal court in downtown Los Angeles for a trial setting hearing pic.twitter.com/p1lejUQjjg
— Libby Denkmann (@libdenk) August 5, 2020
Judge Walter set a “placeholder” trial date of Sept. 29, 2020 -- but acknowledged that is unlikely to happen. Huizar’s new attorneys need time to familiarize themselves with the case, and evidence processing and discovery are currently slowed by coronavirus safety precautions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Jenkins confirmed during the hearing that he plans to call “40-50” witnesses, including members of Huizar’s family. Four defendants have already pleaded guilty in connection to the investigation, including former Councilman Mitch Englander. They are all cooperating with prosecutors.
A 113-page criminal complaint released last month implicated at least three Huizar relatives in activities that include money laundering, but, Jenkins said, “we currently have no plans to charge them.”
We have reached out to the Federal Public Defender’s office in Los Angeles for more information about the financial threshold required to qualify for public counsel.
MORE ON THE CITY HALL SCANDAL:
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
