[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]n FBI investigation of City Councilman Jose Huizar appears to be part of a much broader corruption probe into the Los Angeles political establishment, including Councilman Curren Price, a senior aide to Council President Herb Wesson, and one of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s former deputy mayors, Ray Chan, according to federal search warrant.
The warrant was filed in federal court in November and revealed in a tweet by a George Washington University researcher on Saturday. It indicates federal agents requested to retrieve evidence related to a litany of potential crimes – including bribery, kickbacks, and money laundering – involving names that read like a who’s who of L.A. power politics. It also names members of Huizar’s family.
The Huizar warrant shows agents were requesting a warrant to be obtain records from a private email address apparently belonging to Ray Chan, the former head of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety and former deputy mayor for economic development under Mayor Eric Garcetti. Chan retired from his City Hall positions in 2017.
Huizar’s mother, Isidra Huizar, and his brother, Salvador Huizar, are named in the warrant. So are two of his aides: Shawn Kuk, Huizar’s planning director, and George Esparza, Huizar’s district director. Others named in the warrant include Joel Jacinto, who Garcetti appointed as Public Works Commissioner; Councilman Price; and Deron Williams, chief of staff to Wesson.
The warrant does not point to evidence of criminal activity by any of the people named in the document and no one has been arrested or charged in connection with the investigation.
The FBI investigation into City Hall figures began on Nov. 7 when agents raided the offices and home of Councilman Huizar, former chair of the powerful Planning Land Use Management committee.
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