Closing arguments in the retrial of ex-Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan

Former LA Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan is on trial in federal court on a dozen criminal counts, including racketeering conspiracy, bribery, honest services fraud and lying to federal agents for his alleged role in a complex pay-to-play scheme that prosecutors say soaked developers for millions of dollars in exchange for getting their building projects approved at City Hall. (File photo)

By FRED SHUSTER, City News Service

A prosecutor told a downtown jury on Tuesday, March 26, that former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan helped arrange bribes for himself and convicted ex-City Councilman José Huizar from wealthy developers, but the defense countered that the defendant was an honest public servant who committed no crimes during his decades at Los Angeles City Hall.

Attorneys painted starkly different pictures of the former city official during closing arguments Tuesday in the retrial of Chan on federal corruption charges.

“He sold out his office,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Palmer told the jury. “He helped Huizar take bribes from developers who were willing to pay to play.”

Chan, 67, of Monterey Park, is facing a dozen counts, including racketeering conspiracy, two types of bribery and lying to federal agents for his alleged role in the bribery scheme that prosecutors say monetized the real estate approval process at City Hall.

Defense attorney Michael Freedman said in his closing argument that his client was merely “trying to bring development to Los Angeles,” and was never part of Huizar’s scheme.

“Most of the evidence has to do with José Huizar,” Freedman said. “Mr. Chan didn’t take bribes … because he’s not corrupt.”

Jury deliberations are expected to begin Wednesday morning.

During the two-week trial, prosecutors called several cooperating witnesses to the stand to testify against Chan in Los Angeles federal court, including George Esparza, Huizar’s former special assistant, and real estate development consultant George Chiang, each of whom pleaded guilty to participating in the City Hall-based racketeering conspiracy.

Chan was “careful but corrupt,” and for years stayed “under the radar” while coordinating bribes in a scheme to soak developers in exchange for getting building projects approved at City Hall, they said. The defense countered that the former deputy mayor was motivated only by “love of his adopted city” and did nothing illegal.

But Palmer maintained that Chan was “the indispensable person in the middle” of the scheme.

“The evidence in this case is about José Huizar’s crimes,” Freedman said. “There’s no evidence like that with Mr. Chan.”

The defense attorney said Chan was a dedicated, detail-oriented civil servant who spent his hours working for the city, not trying to arrange bribes.

“He was helpful — almost to a fault,” Freedman told the jury. “Huizar used him just like Huizar used everyone. Ray Chan didn’t create problems — he solved problems.”

To federal prosecutors, 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 who financed and facilitated bribes and other illicit benefits.

During opening statements two weeks ago in Chan’s retrial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Faerstein said the longtime Los Angeles public servant had three goals: “Get money, keep power, and avoid the feds.”

An ex-deputy mayor who oversaw economic development for then-Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2016 and 2017, Chan “sold access” to Huizar, and arranged bribe payments for himself, for the then-councilman and for other city officials, Faerstein stated.

John Hanusz, one of Chan’s attorneys, previously told jurors that the city of Los Angeles benefited as a result of Chan’s honest work, making downtown development “attractive” to foreign investors.

“It was his mission to bring economic development to Los Angeles,” the defense attorney said in his opening statement March 12. “Unfortunately, Ray Chan thought everyone shared his vision.”

The defense attorney told jurors that his client “was motivated for love of his adopted city of Los Angeles,” not by greed or lust for power.

Chan worked for the city for almost three dozen years, serving at one point as the top executive overseeing the Department of Building and Safety, which reviews building plans and inspects construction projects.

Before Huizar pleaded guilty to federal charges, he and Chan were scheduled to go on trial together.

Huizar, 55, pleaded guilty last year to felony charges for using his powerful position at City Hall to enrich himself and his associates, and for cheating on his taxes. He was sentenced in January to 13 years in federal prison and ordered to surrender to begin his sentence no later than April 30. He was also ordered to pay nearly $444,000 in restitution to the city of Los Angeles and nearly $39,000 to the IRS.

A mistrial was declared in Chan’s first trial last year due to a defense attorney’s medical emergency.

As a result of the sprawling public corruption case, a developer, a former lobbyist, a land-use consultant, a Chinese-based real estate company and even Huizar’s older brother, Salvador Huizar, have either pleaded guilty or been convicted by a jury.