A federal prosecutor said Wednesday that his office does not intend to charge family members of Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, identifying them as witnesses rather than targets of the ongoing pay-to-play probe.
Three members of the Huizar family — his wife Richelle, his mother Isidra and his brother Salvador — are mentioned repeatedly in the 113-page indictment against the councilman, who has pleaded not guilty to bribery, money laundering, racketeering and other charges.
Prosecutors have alleged that Huizar family members laundered his bribe proceeds, receiving cash from the councilman and then paying his bills. They also claimed that Huizar’s wife, who has not been named by prosecutors but is easily identifiable from details in the criminal complaint and various plea deals, attended a meeting to discuss a real estate consulting agreement that prosecutors later characterized as an “indirect bribe.”
During Wednesday’s trial-setting hearing, Asst. U.S. Atty. Mack Jenkins told a judge that, based on the information his office currently has, he does not expect to charge the three Huizar family members. And he indicated that Huizar’s wife, who had no experience or knowledge in real estate, did not get involved in the consulting arrangement.
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