Overview
- The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission sustained all 10 counts against John Lee for accepting over-the-limit gifts, failing to disclose them, and misusing his position, with the misuse findings approved 3-1 and the other violations 4-0.
- Commissioners voted 4-0 to impose a $138,124 maximum fine, adopting investigators’ broader findings and valuation method over an administrative law judge’s recommendation of about $43,730 for five sustained counts.
- Investigators said gifts from businessmen Andy Wang, Chris Pak, and lobbyist Michael Bai included pricey meals, nightclub bottle service, hotel stays, transportation, and roughly $1,000 in gambling chips tied to a 2017 Las Vegas trip and other outings.
- Ethics Commission President Manjusha Kulkarni said Lee’s failure to report the gifts conferred an unfair advantage in his close 2019 and 2020 campaigns, while Commissioner Aryeh Cohen dissented on some misuse counts, questioning the impact on voters.
- Lee rejected the findings as political, disputed the gift valuations and timeliness of the case, and said he will appeal the decision in Los Angeles County Superior Court.