Former Los Angeles City Council member Jose Huizar has agreed to plead guilty to racketeering and tax evasion, admitting that he extorted at least $1.5 million in bribes from developers.
In a plea agreement filed Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles, Huizar acknowledged that sweeping corruption allegations that he has denied for years were actually true, saying he was “pleading guilty because I am guilty of the charges.”
The plea deal came after two developers were convicted of bribing Huizar at two consecutive trials and an array of other players at City Hall pleaded guilty to felonies.
The last major defendant in the scandal to faces charges is former Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan, whose racketeering trial is scheduled to start next month.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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