Attorneys for a former Chinatown gangster indicted on federal corruption charges have implicated San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and other city officials in an alleged bribery scheme.
In a court filing for dismissal Tuesday, lawyers for Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow said their client was being “selectively prosecuted.” Included in the motion were portions of FBI reports and wiretap evidence suggesting that Lee and other state and city officials engaged in bribery and money laundering, but were let off the hook “due to their political affiliations.”
A spokesman for the mayor shot down the allegations Tuesday:
“While it appears others may have tried to engage or ensnare Mayor Lee and any number of other people in their own wrongdoing, there's absolutely nothing in today's filing by Raymond Chow's attorneys that suggests that Mayor Lee himself or his 2011 campaign did anything wrong or inappropriate. As we have stated previously, Mayor Lee's campaign is committed to following the letter and spirit of all campaign finance laws. If and when the Mayor's campaign receives specific information from the government about any questionable contributions, we will take immediate and appropriate actions."
Chow, a former gang leader and current head of the Ghee Kung Tong community organization, was arrested in 2014 and has since pleaded not guilty to money laundering and racketeering. The years-long probe that led to his arrest is the same one that ensnared State Senator Leland Yee, who pleaded guilty to racketeering charges on July 1.
Read more about the allegations contained in Tuesday’s motion here.