Bags of Cash, Bribes, Strippers, and Karaoke! Louie Lujan Reveals Just how Crazy the LA City Hall Corruption Probe is
March 23, 2020
Former Mayor Louie Lujan of La Puente has spent a lot of his time uncovering corruption from the San Gabriel Valley. From financial mismanagement by Board President Paul Solano to State Representatives on restraining orders, as the former Mayor of La Puente, Louie Lujan has a unique insight into the corruption scandals that plague local politics.
Louie Lujan points out that we are just seeing the tip of the proverbial iceberg with regard to what is going on in Los Angeles. The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday delivered the second half of a devastating one-two punch against corruption in Los Angeles City Hall. Perhaps the only thing more spectacular than allegations of a $500,000 “pay-to-play” bribe is that more announcements are probably coming, Louie Lujan points out.
On March 9, federal authorities filed seven criminal counts against former District 12 Councilman Mitch Englander, charging the onetime Valley rep with, among other things, lying to investigators and witness tampering (a May trial date has been set) for a case built around proposed real estate deals. Ten days later, they revealed that Justin Jangwoo Kim, a former political fundraiser as well as a real estate appraiser and consultant, agreed to plead guilty to a federal bribery offense involving a member of the City Council. He faces up to ten years in prison.
Federal authorities didn’t reveal the identity of the elected official who allegedly accepted the bribe, referring to the person only as Councilmember A. However, they repeatedly referred to a council rep seeking to have a “relative” elected after the individual is termed out. It took about 2.4 seconds for observers to note that in September 2018, Richelle Huizar, wife of District 14 Councilman José Huizar, launched a campaign to succeed her husband once he completes his final term this year.
Louie Lujan, former Mayor of La Puente points out that the Englander indictment detailed a businessman giving the councilman $10,000 in cash in a Las Vegas bathroom in June 2017, and then handing over another $5,000 in a Palm Springs bathroom less than two weeks later. The new allegations claim that, in March 2017, Developer C gave Kim a paper bag with $400,000 in cash (!!!), and Kim gave it to Staffer A-1, who held on to it for the councilmember. Then, on Dec. 28, 2017, the staffer and the elected official allegedly “met in Councilmember A’s private bathroom, to discuss various topics, including the cash bribe City Staffer A-1 was holding for Councilmember A.” I know meetings take place in bathrooms because they general don’t have cameras, but can’t someone pick a less cliché location? Maybe a linen closet? A supply room? A freezer? Come on man!
More to come? Heck yeah!
Louie Lujan and other City Hall observers have been eagerly watching the proceedings ever since the 2018 Huizar raids, and speculation has been intense over who may be charged in cases that involve real estate transactions….stay tuned! We surely will!
Today, Mr. Louie Lujan directs CIMA Law Group’s government relations department. He works with staff members from various local governments on matters such as planning, zoning and land use. Mr. Lujan graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) with a B.A. in Political Science and a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA). He also holds a Master’s in Secondary Education (M.Ed.) from Loyola Marymount University (LMU).
