Fifth L.A Councilmember involved in ethics scandal in recent years

District 12 Councilmember John Lee is under investigation for ethics allegations.

By James Bao

October 5, 2023

Published on Annenberg Media

Photo by Ringo H.W. Chiu | AP

On Monday, John Lee became the fifth Los Angeles councilmember to be accused of an ethics or public corruption scandal in recent years, following accusations made by the L.A. City Ethics Commission.

According to the Ethics Commission, Lee is being accused of “two counts of accepting excess gifts, three counts of failing to disclose gifts, four counts of misusing a City position and one count of aiding and abetting the misuse of a City position.”

A nine-page accusation was issued to Lee on Sept. 26 after the Ethics Commission’s probable cause conference on Aug. 31. An expected evidentiary hearing will happen to determine the validity of the allegations and penalties, should they apply.

These accusations stem between 2016 and a 2017 Las Vegas trip when Lee reportedly accepted multiple gifts exceeding the gift limit from a businessperson and a developer without properly disclosing the items.

Mitchell Englander, the former Councilmember and Lee’s boss at the time of the incident, resigned in 2018 amidst an FBI investigation and was later sentenced to 14 months in jail after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators. His seat covering northwest San Fernando Valley communities was then filled by Lee after winning a special election in 2019.

Lee denies any and all allegations.

“I also know my actions and stand by my record. I refuse to be bullied by investigators that are seemingly more focused on garnering headlines than pursuing facts, evidence and the truth, even at the expense of people’s reputations,” Lee said in a statement to FOX 11.

Lee won the general election in 2020 to keep his Council District 12 seat, covering communities such as Chatsworth, Granada Hills and North Hills.

All eyes are now resting on the verdict of the appointed Ethics Commission as the result would speak to the magnitude of corruption within L.A. City Hall.