Raymond Chan, former LA Deputy Mayor, charged in federal City Hall corruption case; was head of LADBS during controversial Bel-Air "single family dwelling" development approvals

Raymond Chan, the former L.A. Deputy Mayor, charged in federal City Hall corruption case was also the Garcetti-appointed head of LADBS during controversial Bel-Air "single family dwelling” development approvals.

In addition to Chan, prosecutors announced corruption charges Monday against Wei Huang, chairman of a Chinese real estate company that proposed a 77-story skyscraper on Figueroa Street, and Dae Yong Lee, a Bel-Air developer who in 2017 won approval for a new 20-story residential tower on Hill Street. Companies operated by the two men were also named as defendants.

In a statement, U.S. Atty. Nick Hanna said Huizar, Chan and their network of associates “repeatedly violated the public trust by soliciting and accepting numerous cash bribes and other financial benefits, turning Huizar’s city council seat into a money-making criminal enterprise.”

Chan worked for the city for 33 years, serving at one point as the top executive overseeing the Department of Building and Safety, which reviews building plans and inspects construction projects. While working in that agency, he built a reputation as someone who cut red tape and smoothed the way for new development.

Critics argued that under his leadership, the department treated developers, not the broader public, as its customers.

For more information, see links below:

LA TIMES: “Raymond Chan, former L.A. deputy mayor, charged in federal City Hall corruption case”

NBC4: “Former LA Deputy Mayor Among New Defendants Added to Sprawling Corruption Indictment”

LA TIMES: “L.A. developer pleads guilty in sprawling L.A. campaign money laundering case”

LA TIMES: “Here’s a closer look at the ex-deputy mayor enmeshed in City Hall corruption probe”