Thread: State Sen. Yee indicted on public corruption charges NBC

SACBEE BREAKING NEWS ALERT » 3/26/2014
Reports: State Sen. Yee indicted on public corruption charges


THE LATEST ON CALIFORNIA POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

March 26, 2014


NBC Bay Area reports Sen. Yee arrested in FBI sting

NBC Bay Area reported this morning that state Sen. Leland Yee had been arrested as the result of an FBI sting investigation that included other people but had no more details.

Leland is a San Francisco Democrat who was to leave the Legislature this year due to term limits and is a candidate for secretary of state. He is also a child psychologist.

The story is here.
Two other Democratic state senators, Rod Wright and Ron Calderon, are already on leaves of absence due to criminal charges against them, and their departure erased the Senate's Democratic supermajority at least temporarily. Were Yee also to depart before his term expires, it would drop Democrats to 25 seats in the Senate and give Republicans a larger role in legislation that requires two-thirds votes, such as tax increases and constitutional amendments.

Updated at 8:42 a.m. with more background

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalert...#storylink=cpy

State Sen. Yee arrested on public corruption charges

Updated at 10:42 AM today


FILE -- Calif. State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, speaks at a news conference in San Francisco, Monday, June 27, 2011. (AP

Vic Lee

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- State Senator Leland Yee has been arrested on public corruption charges.

Yee was transported in handcuffs by authorities to the Federal Building in San Francisco and is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m.

A series of search warrants are being executed by the FBI across the Bay Area this morning. ABC7 News has learned they are making numerous arrests in a widespread sweep involving suspected gang members.

One of the searches is taking place at the San Francisco Chinatown office of the Ghee Kung Tong Free Masons. It is linked to the arrest this morning of Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow.The FBI has also searched a location on the 600 block of 42nd Avenue in San Mateo.

section=news/local/san_francisco&id=9480515#&cmp=fb-kgo-article-9480515

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —State Sen. Leland Yee was escorted into San Francisco's Federal Building wearing handcuffs after he was arrested Wednesday morning during a series of raids in the Bay Area and Sacramento.


NBC Bay Area was first to report that Yee, a Democrat, was detained by federal agents on charges that include public corruption.
A second man, Raymond Chow, was also arrested, according to the FBI.

Chow was reportedly the head of Ghee Kung Tong, one of several fraternal organizations in San Francisco's Chinatown. Chow had returned to Chinatown after serving time in prison on gun charges.

Photos: Sen. Leland Yee taken into federal custody

Agents with the FBI were also at the state Capitol Wednesday morning, searching Yee's office. KCRA's Leticia Ordaz reported that agents were looking at computers and other documents.

California Highway Patrol officers and the sergeant-at-arms remained stationed outside Yee's office as of 11 a.m.
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg had no comment on the investigation.

Watch report here: FBI agents raid state Sen. Leland Yee's Capitol office

Just after 7 a.m. Wednesday, the FBI confirmed with KCRA 3 that it was conducting raids at homes and businesses in the Bay Area and Sacramento.
A spokeswoman for the FBI would not elaborate because the raids were ongoing, but did confirm that the agency served search warrants and made multiple arrests.

The report of Yee's arrest comes just one month after Los Angeles-area Democrat Ron Calderon pleaded not guilty to charges that he accepted $100,000 in bribes in return for pushing legislation, charges that could send him to federal prison for years.

Earlier in the year, Sen. Rod Wright, D-Inglewood, was convicted in a perjury and voter fraud case.

Yee, 65, represents California's 8th Senate District, which covers about half of San Francisco. He is also a candidate for California secretary of state.
Yee is best known publicly for his efforts to strengthen open records, government transparency and whistleblower protection laws, including legislation to close a loophole in state public records laws after the CSU Stanislaus Foundation refused to release its $75,000 speaking contract with former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in 2010.

For his efforts to uphold the California Public Records Act, Yee was honored last week by the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, which awarded him its public official citation for his efforts last year to maintain the requirements of the California Public Records Act.

Yee has at times clashed with fellow Democrats for casting votes of conscience, refusing to support the Democratic budget proposal in 2011 because of its deep cuts to education, social services and education. He also opposed legislation by a fellow Democrat, Assemblyman Paul Fong of Cupertino, that banned the sale of shark fins used for Chinese shark fin soup, saying that it unfairly targeted the Chinese-American community.

Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/fbi-conduct...#ixzz2x5yfzlfB

THE LATEST ON CALIFORNIA POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

March 26, 2014


READ: 'Uncle Leland' involved in arms deal, FBI affidavit alleges

Hours after FBI agents raided the Sacramento office of Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, a sworn affidavit by an FBI agent describes Yee's alleged role in a gun trafficking conspiracy.

Here is the document detailing the case against Yee:

Yee affidavit (137 pages)

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2014/03/read-cocaine-sale-arms-deal-uncle-leland-cited-in-fbi-affidavit.html#storylink=cpy

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http://www.alipac.us/f9/california-s...-fraud-299865/