Chan, 67, of Monterey Park worked for the city for more than three decades, much of it at the Department of Building and Safety, where he became general manager. In 2016, he was hired by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve as deputy mayor over economic development, supervising the Planning Department, Building and Safety, and other city agencies.
He was convicted in Los Angeles federal court in March of all 12 felony counts he faced: one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, seven counts of honest services wire fraud, three counts of bribery and one count of making false statements to a federal government agency.
U.S. District Judge John Walter ordered Chan to self-surrender on Jan. 6 to begin his prison sentence.
Evidence showed Chan was a key member of the so-called Council District 14 enterprise, a conspiracy in which Huizar -- assisted by others -- unlawfully used his office to give favorable treatment to wealthy developers in exchange for at least $1.5 million in cash bribes and other illicit benefits.
Chan acted as the intermediary who orchestrated bribes to Huizar from developers, lining his own pockets in the process. A letter to the court from the City Attorney's Office said that "the reputational damage Mr. Chan caused (to local government) is deep and not easily overcome.''
Federal prosecutors said that while Huizar "may have been the face of the pay-to-play scheme, (Chan) was the brains that devised some of the most sophisticated aspects'' of the conspiracy.
For example, Chan arranged what prosecutors called "the single largest bribe payment obtained in the scheme'' -- the secret funneling of $600,000 from a billionaire real estate developer which Huizar used to confidentially settle a pending sexual harassment lawsuit from a former staffer. Structured by Chan, the bribe "was shrouded in layers of concealment,'' according to court papers.
Huizar, 56, pleaded guilty in January 2023 to accepting bribes from downtown developers and cheating on his taxes, and was sentenced to a 13-year federal prison term. He was ordered to surrender to begin his sentence no later than noon Monday.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said Chan used his leadership role at City Hall to "favor corrupt individuals and companies willing to play dirty'' to win approval of downtown high-rise construction projects.
Members and associates of the bribery scheme included lobbyists, consultants and other city officials and staffers, who sought to personally enrich themselves and their families and associates in exchange for official acts. They included George Esparza, Huizar's former special assistant, real estate development consultant George Chiang, political fundraiser Justin Jangwoo Kim, and lobbyist Morrie Goldman, among others. Each pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government's investigation.
Before Huizar pleaded guilty to federal charges, he and Chan were scheduled to go on trial together. A mistrial was declared in Chan's first trial last year due to a defense attorney's medical emergency.
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