Ex-Deputy Mayor’s Trial Spotlights LA City Hall Corruption

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The hallowed halls of justice were alive with the somber tones of judicial proceedings as the trial of former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan took center stage this week within the solemn confines of a federal courtroom. At the heart of the legal maelstrom were grave accusations comprising racketeering, bribery, and fraud—a trinity of charges that could topple the legacy of any public servant.

As the proceedings unfolded, Chan, wearing the mantle of LA’s former deputy mayor, strode into the courtroom, flanked by a battalion of legal experts. Despite the gravity of the situation, Chan’s demeanor was one of staunch denial against the claims that he served as an instrumental gear in the mechanisms of former City Councilman Jose Huizar’s notorious pay-to-play orchestra within the corridors of City Hall.


Chan’s defense was spearheaded by an attorney whose eloquence painted his client as a paragon of efficiency; an individual whose ambitions lay in tearing through the ensnaring web of bureaucratic red tape that often impedes the towering aspirations of construction projects. It was a narrative spun to depict a man of action, not corruption.

This trial marked the second effort by federal prosecutors to hold Chan accountable for his purported involvement in a corruption web that all signs suggested was masterminded by the now-disgraced Huizar. The councilman’s own downfall was the stuff of salacious headlines—his tenure culminating in a 13-year prison sentence for his acceptance of a staggering $1.5 million in kickbacks, which were predominantly received through the unassuming veneer of casino chips. This hidden stream of wealth had ostensibly ensured the swift and uninterrupted flow of major downtown real estate developments through the labyrinth of city approvals.

The narrative of Chan’s initial trial had drawn its last breath in April of the previous year, when an unforeseen ailment struck his then-lawyer, Harland Braun, halting proceedings and leaving the courtroom hanging in suspense. Now, Chan found himself the final defendant standing in the legal reckoning of what had been dubbed by federal prosecutors as “Casino Loyale.”

The prosecution’s opening salvo framed Chan as more than an idle participant, denouncing him as a “facilitator” entrenched in the acquisition of bribes both for personal gain and the enrichment of others. They leveled at him the charge of clandestinely founding a consulting enterprise while still employed by the LA City Council, an enterprise that had mysteriously gleaned payment post-tenure from an unnamed developer.

Further, it was asserted that Chan had served as a covert bridge, connecting Huizar with the opulent offerings of Shenzhen New World Group and its billionaire patriarch, Wei Huang. This union, the prosecution alleged, facilitated a cascade of ill-gotten indulgences that engulfed the councilman and his complicit aides—luxuries that ranged from cash to gambling chips, private jet getaways to extravagant Las Vegas experiences, complete with all the accouterments of vice one could imagine.

Indeed, the epitome of this brazen exchange of favors was the metamorphosis envisioned for the LA Grand Hotel, acquired by Shenzhen in 2010, into a monumental 77-floor skyscraper. Such a structure promised to redefine the skyline as the tallest edifice on the West Coast. The catalyst for this grandeur? A symphony of alleged largesse bestowed upon Huizar by Wei, punctuated by court filings that read like a ledger of excess and corruption.

Huizar’s routine unraveled spectacularly upon a fateful recognition. His visage, known to the trained eyes of VIP casino staff at the Palazzo Las Vegas, raised the specter of suspicion as they observed him effortlessly liquidating tens of thousands of dollars in chips—chips whose provenance lay in the deep pockets of Wei. Here was a crossing of paths with the stringent anti-money laundering strictures casinos operate under, and for individuals of political stature, the scrutiny is intensified to safeguard against the encroaching shadows of bribery and corruption.

Ultimately, Huizar buckled when he could not—or would not—affirm an independent source of wealth, prompting casino officials to sound the alarm to the FBI, a move that catalyzed his precipitous fall from grace.

In stark contrast, Chan’s defense counsel, John Hanusz, stood steadfast in the assertion that Chan had been a nonparticipant in these debaucherous sojourns to Sin City. Hanusz championed his client as a visionary, driven not by avarice but a noble quest to reinvigorate downtown Los Angeles. Chan, he professed, held pride in his ability to cut through the Gordian knot of civic bureaucracy, paving the way for bold architectural endeavors—an aspiration unsullied by the shadow of quid pro quo that hung heavily over Huizar.

“There was no quid pro quo in this case with Ray Chan,” Hanusz declared with conviction. “With Jose Huizar, there absolutely was.”

As the trial continued to unravel the complex tapestry of allegations and defenses, the topic of casino gambling chips as currency for corruption was a poignant reminder of the role casinos play beyond mere entertainment. For some, these venues are a retreat from the mundane, a haven of excitement nestled within controlled chaos. It’s here in the liminal space of glistening rows of slot machines and the quiet concentration at the card tables that fortunes can shift with the mere flip of a card or the spin of a wheel.

In this context, the attention naturally drifts to the burgeoning world of online gaming, where the thrill of the casino experience can be savored from the comfort of one’s own home. Certainly, many Canadians seek out these virtual gaming halls, searching for the best platforms to satisfy their gaming appetites. We, at West Island Blog, have meticulously curated a compendium for our readers, wherewe list the top online casinos for this month. Here you’ll find a gamut of reputable and exhilarating options, ensuring your online adventure is both safe and thrilling. As we navigate through these stories of vice and virtue, it’s reassuring to know that lawful enjoyment is just a click away.