The stunning fall of Jose Huizar and how it exposed ‘rampant corruption’ at L.A. City Hall

Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Jose Huizar’s agreement to plead guilty announced Thursday marks a stunning fall for a politician who once had aspirations of higher office but ultimately became a symbol of City Hall corruption. In 2020, Huizar faced a racketeering charge arising from allegations he ran a sprawling pay-to-play scheme in which real estate developers were shaken down for cash bribes and campaign donations in exchange for Huizar’s help getting high-rise development projects through the city’s arduous approval process. California ‘Mind-blowing.’ Eastside residents, community leaders react to the Jose Huizar case L.A. City Councilman Jose Huizar’s life story had been an inspiration to many, not just on the Eastside but across the city. In the agreement, Huizar admitted that he was a leader of a criminal enterprise involving lobbyists, consultants and other city officials who sought to “personally enrich themselves and their families and associates through a pay-to-play scheme within the city.” As part of that scheme, public officials “extracted financial benefits from developers and their promises” in exchange for official government acts, the agreement said.