Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee (District 12) has broken years of silence over his controversial 2017 trip to Las Vegas, speaking out publicly for the first time during a recent hearing before the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission.
At the time of the trip, Lee was serving as chief of staff to then-Councilmember Mitch Englander (District 12). The trip involved high-end accommodations and entertainment with Englander and three businessmen, and later became part of a broader Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe.
Englander admitted to accepting an envelope of cash in a casino restroom during the trip and was convicted for making false statements to federal investigators. He was sentenced to prison. Lee was not charged criminally but has remained under investigation by city ethics officials.
At the hearing, Lee testified, “I was given a standard room at the Aria Hotel and paid $300 at the Hakkasan nightclub for my share. I made a good-faith effort to pay for what I consumed that night.”
The Ethics Commission, however, alleges that Lee improperly accepted thousands of dollars’ worth of unreported gifts, including hotel accommodations, expensive meals, alcohol, and casino chips. According to city law at the time, public officials were required to report gifts valued between $50 and $470 from a single source, and accepting gifts exceeding $470 was prohibited.
According to the commission, Lee attended a $2,500 dinner at the upscale Chinese restaurant Blossom, featuring Kobe beef, lobster, and roast duck. Lee countered this claim by stating, “I arrived late, didn’t eat any of it, and stopped after one sip of the soup because it didn’t suit my taste.”
Regarding the $1,000 worth of casino chips he used, Lee testified that he was gambling on behalf of Andy Wang, one of the businessmen on the trip. The Ethics Commission determined the chips constituted a gift.
Administrative Law Judge Jiran Zhang is currently preparing a recommendation on whether Lee violated city ethics laws based on the hearing testimony. The Ethics Commission will use this recommendation to determine whether a violation occurred and to assess possible penalties or fines.
Despite the Las Vegas controversy, John Lee was re-elected in 2024 as an independent candidate.
BY BRIAN CHOI [choi.inseong@koreadaily.com]
