José Huizar’s brother sentenced to probation in LA City Hall pay-to-play scandal

The older brother of José Huizar was sentenced Friday to community service and ordered to pay a $4,250 fine for lying to the FBI about receiving envelopes of cash from the now-imprisoned ex-Los Angeles City councilman.

Salvador Huizar of Boyle Heights pleaded guilty in October 2022 to one felony count of making false statements to investigators, acknowledging that he repeatedly lied about accepting cash from his brother to a federal grand jury and during an interview with FBI agents and prosecutors, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As part of his plea deal, Salvador Huizar cooperated with the government’s investigation and testified at the trial of a development company that was subsequently convicted of paying bribes to the then-councilman.

While he could have received a sentence of up to five years behind bars, Salvador Huizar was given two years’ probation, including 100 hours of community service and the fine.

Salvador Huizar admitted in court papers that on his brother’s request, he accepted envelopes of cash from José Huizar on at least 20 occasions. In exchange, Salvador Huizar contemporaneously wrote checks, or facilitated electronic payments from his own bank account, to either José Huizar directly, or to pay José Huizar’s expenses in the same amounts as the cash provided by the then-councilman.

Even though Salvador Huizar asked his brother on multiple occasions about the cash, José Huizar reportedly said “it was better that (Salvador Huizar) did not know the source of the cash,” according to the plea agreement.

José Huizar is serving a 13-year prison sentence for accepting bribes from downtown developers and cheating on his taxes. He pleaded guilty in January 2023 to conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and tax evasion.

As a councilman, Huizar, 56, represented the downtown area and was chairman of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, the powerful panel that reviews the city’s largest development projects. Evidence showed he monetized his position and leveraged his political clout for over $1.5 million in cash bribes, gambling chips, luxury trips, political contributions, prostitutes, extravagant meals, services, concerts and other gifts.

Three of José Huizar’s family members — his older brother, estranged wife and mother — testified against him at the trial of development company Shen Zhen New World I. The company was convicted of paying the then-councilman more than $1 million in bribes to win his support for a proposed skyscraper in downtown L.A.

José Huizar’s co-defendant, former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan, was sentenced in October to 12 years in federal prison for acting as an intermediary in the City Hall bribery scheme.

Chan, 68, was convicted in March by a jury in Los Angeles federal court of a dozen felony counts: one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, seven counts of honest services wire fraud, three counts of bribery and one count of making false statements to a federal government agency.

Members and associates of the scheme included lobbyists, consultants and other city officials and staffers, who sought to personally enrich themselves and their families and associates in exchange for official acts. Last month, four defendants who pleaded guilty and cooperated in the probe were handed non-custodial sentences.