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LA Councilmember John Lee Accused Of Ethics Violations
Councilmember John Lee, shown at the Sept. 27 L.A. City Council meeting, is facing ethics charges
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LA City Clerk
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Screenshot from YouTube
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Topline:
The L.A. City Ethics Commission is accusing Councilmember John Lee of taking illegal gifts. The allegations stem from Lee’s time as chief of staff to former Councilmember Mitch Englander, who spent 14 months in prison on obstruction of justice charges.
Las Vegas trip: At the center of the allegations is a 2017 Las Vegas trip taken by Lee and Englander. The commission alleges Lee accepted free food, hotel rooms and poker chips from a businessperson and a developer with business before the city. The businessperson and developer are not identified. In one case, Lee allegedly accepted poker chips valued at $1,000 and bottle service with a group of people at a restaurant valued at more than $5,600 per person.
Lee’s response: Lee issued a statement denying the allegations, saying the commission “drastically inflated” the amount of food and beverages he consumed. “Commission investigators are not interested in the facts. They have preconceived notions about where their investigation should go and have ignored any exculpatory evidence they obtained,” said Lee, who is up for re-election in 2024.
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What’s next: The Ethics Commission must determine whether the alleged violations occurred and, if so, what penalty should apply. The maximum penalty is “the greater of $5,000 per violation of three times the amount of money that was improperly received or reported,” according to the commission’s website.
The backstory: Over the past five years, three council members have been sentenced to prison on corruption charges and one stands accused of corruption — in addition to Lee.
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