FBI corruption probe of L.A. City Hall focuses on downtown development boom

[2Easy]

Originally Posted by jm1982

From an article in 2014. Greenland is one of the chinese development companies mentioned in the article above.

I remember reading the article below a while back and thought that was quite suspicious. Chinese development firms don't just spend hundreds of thousands to send L.A public officials overseas for nothing.
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The tab for public officials in the group is expected to be $570,000. The Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports will contribute $214,000 and $198,000 respectively, with the remainder covered by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Mayor's Fund for Los Angeles and corporate sponsors including Universal Studios Hollywood, DFS, Steinberg Architects, CJ Entertainment and Greenland Holdings Group.


Greenland Holdings Group is a Chinese real estate developer of the Metropolis Los Angeles project, a $1-billion hotel and residential skyscraper planned in downtown. The City Council agreed this year to let Greenland keep $39.2 million in taxes expected from the project over the next 25 years.

Link:

https://www.latimes.com/local/cityha...114-story.html

AEG got a similar tax break. So did metropolis. So did Marriott. So did lightstone. Every hotel near the convention center is getting a tax break in the theory that without the hotels there would be no taxes and that the hotels bring in lots of other revenue for the city in conventions, etc.

[2Easy]

Originally Posted by Finper

Huh , I thought they were going after Jose as a "me too" guy. This is a whole different ball of wax. I bet a lot of people will be sleepless tonight. Except the Chinese this is just another Monday for them

I don't know about the others but reading between the lines for Huizar it sounds pretty bad. Developers would donate money to his alma mater HS. His wife was in charge of fundraising for said HS. Now he's being in being investigated for money laundering based on information from a whistleblower. Sounds like they think the donated money ended up with him. That's much worse than the normal excess campaign contribution type of bribery.

[Finper]

Originally Posted by 2Easy

I don't know about the others but reading between the lines for Huizar it sounds pretty bad. Developers would donate money to his alma mater HS. His wife was in charge of fundraising for said HS. Now he's being in being investigated for money laundering based on information from a whistleblower. Sounds like they think the donated money ended up with him. That's much worse than the normal excess campaign contribution type of bribery.

I would if that high school knew the balance in their fund raising account ?!?!

[Astral_Weeks]

Originally Posted by 2Easy

AEG got a similar tax break. So did metropolis. So did Marriott. So did lightstone. Every hotel near the convention center is getting a tax break in the theory that without the hotels there would be no taxes and that the hotels bring in lots of other revenue for the city in conventions, etc.

You are absolutely correct that all the new hotels (not including the adaptive reuse projects) which have been built in downtown LA in the last ten years have been given TOT rebates to incentivize the development. This is a strategy that has been used in countless other cities.

[BB_210]

Originally Posted by 2Easy

I think that usually there would be an investigation. Then if wrongdoing is found there would be charges. Then a trial. He's not even being investigated but you want to skip all the way to jail?

Yes, that what I implied. Obviously. What the heck, let's all arm ourselves with pitchforks and march down to City Hall.

[BB_210]

Originally Posted by max210

Not the first time Garcetti was caught getting paid to play, and someone else went to jail for it.

https://la.curbed.com/2018/2/26/1705...ents-developer

When is Garcetti the Rat next? He did the same.


https://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a...ruption-probe/

City Councilman Jose Huizar was accused Tuesday of accepting more than $1.5 million in bribes and other benefits to approve or stall large building projects and shape the Los Angeles development landscape, prosecutors said.

[KemBro71]

Originally Posted by max210

When is Garcetti the Rat next? He did the same.


https://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a...ruption-probe/

City Councilman Jose Huizar was accused Tuesday of accepting more than $1.5 million in bribes and other benefits to approve or stall large building projects and shape the Los Angeles development landscape, prosecutors said.

Englander ratted him out. Both scumbags.

Englander's successor, John Lee, is probably still feeling the heat, as he should

[happly retired]

this has been going on for 2o years when the crook Huizar was on the school board and got tons on kickbacks called donations for school projects in his area. all they have to do is look but he had the right surname so the Times would look into it

[V8 Vega]

Hulzar is the guy who ran into someone late at night drunk and cost the taxpayers millions in a settlement and then said "I take full responsibility."

[TimTheEnchanter]

The FBI was oh so close to cracking the case wide open and then they all got called to Taladega to work the Great Illicit Door Pull Caper.