LOS ANGELES
A 70-year-old man pleaded guilty Thursday to illegally donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to the campaigns of eight local politicians, officials stated.
The donations led to the approval of an apartment complex to be built in the Harbor-Gateway area, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Samuel Leung, 70, plead guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
He was sentenced to formal probation for five years and must perform 500 hours of community service, prosecutors stated.
He also was ordered to deposit $2.5 million in an escrow account that will remain there until the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission determines the final amount owed.
Deputy District Attorney Susan Ser of the Public Integrity Division prosecuted the case.
Leung recruited family members, employees, and others to act as straw donors to funnel money to local politicians in hopes of having Leung’s five-acre parcel rezoned from industrial to residential use, officials stated.
State law prohibits anyone from making a contribution to a political campaign using someone else’s name.
Over a six-year period beginning in 2009, more than $600,000 was contributed by people and companies connected to Leung.
The donations went to the campaigns and officeholder accounts of eight Los Angeles area politicians.
In exchange, Leung reimbursed many of the donors’ contributions.
The Los Angeles Times reported in an investigative report that Victor Blanco, a repairman originally from El Salvador, gave the most: 22 donations totaling $20,300 since 2008, according to contribution reports.
More than half that money went to U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn (D-Los Angeles) while she was pursuing local, state and federal office, according to contribution reports, according to the Times.
Asked about those donations, Blanco could not explain why he gave Hahn so much money, the Times stated in its report.
The 352-unit Sea Breeze project was eventually approved by the Los Angeles City Council in February 2015.
Co-defendant and Leung’s former secretary Sofia David, 61, remains a fugitive.
She was charged with one felony count of conspiracy to commit campaign money laundering and faces up to three years in state prison if convicted, officials stated.