Councilman’s Brother Sentenced for Lying to FBI About Cash Payments
Salvador Huizar, the older brother of disgraced former Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar, was sentenced to two years’ probation on Friday.
He was also ordered to pay a $4,250 fine after pleading guilty in October 2022 to one felony count of making false statements to investigators.
As part of a plea deal, Salvador Huizar cooperated with the government’s investigation and testified against a development company convicted of paying bribes to his councilman brother.
Court documents revealed Salvador Huizar accepted envelopes stuffed with cash from his brother on at least 20 occasions. In exchange, Salvador Huizar either wrote checks or facilitated electronic payments from his own bank account to cover either José Huizar directly or his expenses, always matching the amounts of the cash he’d received.
During the investigation, when Salvador Huizar was questioned about the origins of the money, José Huizar reportedly told his brother, “it was better that (Salvador Huizar) did not know the source of the cash.”
A Wider Web of Corruption
José Huizar, 56, is serving a 13-year prison sentence for accepting over $1.5 million in bribes from downtown developers. He pleaded guilty in January 2023 to conspiracy to violate RICO Act and tax evasion.
As the councilman representing downtown Los Angeles and chairman of the influential Planning and Land Use Management Committee, José Huizar leveraged his position to illicitly obtain cash, casino chips, luxury vacations, political contributions, and other corrupt acknowledgments of servitude.
Several members of José Huizar’s family, including his estranged wife, mother, and brother, were called upon to testify against him. One development company, Shen Zhen New World I, was convicted of paying José Huizar more than $1 million in bribes to secure his support for numerous projects, including a proposed skyscraper in downtown Los Angeles.
Former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan, a co-defendant in this intricate case, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after being convicted of acting as an intermediary in the City Hall bribery network. A jury found Chan guilty on a dozen felony counts, including conspiracy to violate the RICO Act, wire fraud, bribery, and making false statements to federal authorities.
This sweeping corruption case ensnared numerous individuals, including lobbyists, consultants, and other city officials. The indictment illustrates a systematic effort by this entangled network to personally enrich themselves at the expense of ethical conduct and public trust. This multifaceted conspiracy involved exchanging city-influenced decisions for personal gain.
While José Huizar is behind bars and facing lengthy prison sentences, the convoluted story of his crime sheds a harsh light on how public service can become corrupted.
What was the outcome of Salvador Huizar’s case?
## Councilman’s Brother Sentenced for Lying to FBI
**News Anchor:** Welcome back. Today, the brother of disgraced former Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar was sentenced for his role in a bribery scandal. Joining us to discuss this is legal expert and analyst, Margaret Chen. Margaret, thanks for being here.
**Margaret Chen:** My pleasure.
**News Anchor:** Can you give us a rundown of what happened with Salvador Huizar?
**Margaret Chen:** Salvador Huizar pleaded guilty to one felony count of making false statements to federal investigators.
Essentially, he lied about the origins of cash payments he received from his brother, José. Court documents show José gave Salvador envelopes of cash on at least 20 occasions. Salvador then either wrote checks or made electronic payments to cover José’s expenses. [[1](https://ktla.com/news/local-news/former-l-a-councilman-jose-huizar-to-be-sentenced-friday-morning/)]
**News Anchor:** Why was Salvador lying about the source of the money?
**Margaret Chen:** According to court documents, José Huizar actually instructed his brother to not inquire about the origin of the cash. This suggests José was trying to hide the fact that he was receiving bribes from developers.
**News Anchor:** And what was Salvador’s role in all of this?
**Margaret Chen:** Ultimately, Salvador cooperated with the government’s investigation and testified against the development company that bribed his brother.
He received a relatively light sentence of two years probation and a $4,250 fine. This likely reflects his cooperation. [[1](https://ktla.com/news/local-news/former-l-a-councilman-jose-huizar-to-be-sentenced-friday-morning/)]
**News Anchor:** This whole situation certainly highlights the ongoing issue of corruption in local government.
**Margaret Chen:** Absolutely. The case against José Huizar revealed a systematic pattern of bribery and influence peddling connected to developers seeking favorable treatment in Los Angeles. This case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of ethics and transparency in government.
**News Anchor:** Thank you for shedding light on this complex case, Margaret.
