Former Los Angeles deputy mayor convicted in pay-to-play corruption case

Former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan was found guilty Wednesday on all counts in a massive corruption case involving real estate developers and their influence at City Hall.

A federal jury in Los Angeles reached the verdict after deliberating for only a matter of hours, according to The Los Angeles Times, finding Chan guilty on 12 counts of racketeering, bribery, fraud and giving false statements.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 10.

During the two-week trial, prosecutors portrayed Chan as a central figure in a pay-to-play scheme that also involved former L.A. City Councilmember Jose Huizar, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to racketeering and tax evasion charges.

Both used their power and influence, prosecutors said, to push forward lucrative deals for foreign developers in exchange for favors and financial gain between 2013 and 2018.

In one instance, prosecutors said Chan helped set up a company that took on a downtown L.A. high-rise developer as a client while he was still employed by the city.

He pressured city officials to support the project and, after leaving city employment, received payment from the developer for his efforts, the L.A. Times reported.

Chan’s lawyers said they plan to appeal the verdict.

Chan’s trial was delayed for nearly a year after his lawyer fell ill last April, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial.

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