Korean American Los Angeles City Councilman John Lee (District 12) was charged with ethics violations by the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission on October 2.
Councilman John Lee stated the charges are completely baseless and vowed to fight tirelessly to rectify them.
The Ethics Commission filed 10 counts of violations against Lee under the City’s Ethics Code. The commission alleges Lee accepted and neglected to disclose a total of $5,600 worth of entertainment, including hotel stays, transportation, and club drinks during his trips to Las Vegas in 2016 and 2017, when he served as the chief of staff to former Councilman Mitchell Englander.
In 2017, Lee reportedly played poker with a businessman, lobbyist, and developer at an establishment in LA Koreatown. During this event, the businessman paid a total of $800 for drinks, according to the Ethics Commission. The commission also alleges Lee’s failure to disclose his spending during the 2019 and 2020 elections.
Lee’s office refuted the allegations, saying they were completely false. “The commission falsely states that the FBI started an investigation into whether I accepted gifts. Further, they falsely state I attempted to mislead the FBI. Both accusations are categorically false. They fully know I have never been a target or a subject of any federal investigation. Throughout this process, I have gone above and beyond to cooperate with the commission’s investigation in the name of transparency. I have provided bank statements that corroborate what I recalled about this trip, sat for interviews, and have been transparent every step of the way. However, it became clear that Commission investigators are not interested in the facts.”
Councilman Lee suggests the Ethics Commission’s decision to file a case from five years ago, which seemingly violates the four-year statute of limitations, is an attempt to sway “next year’s election.”
The commission stated that John Lee deliberately neglected to disclose information he was mandated to report in 2016 and 2017. In the coming days, the commission will present evidence and testimony in the relevant hearings to corroborate the allegations against Lee. If the corruption charges are substantiated, fines up to $5,000 per allegation may be imposed as per the rules.
The Ethics Commission will be soon expected to explain the delay of five years before formally pursuing an investigation and publicizing the allegations. The commission will also be tasked with revealing, in a subsequent hearing, if they possess concrete evidence and witnesses backing their claims.
Concurrently, Councilman Lee will have to clarify details concerning the alleged $7,831.50 expenditure on alcohol, food, lodging, and casino chips. If they fail to discern whether the hospitality expenses were a misuse of his power as chief of staff, they may face significant political repercussions.
BY BRIAN CHOI [ichoi@koreadaily.com]
