Former LA Councilman José Huizar to Plead Guilty in Corruption Case

Then Los Angeles Councilman José Huizar speaks on the steps of City Hall during the "Forward on Climate" rally to call on President Obama to take strong action on the climate crisis in Los Angeles, on Feb. 17, 2013. David McNew/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES—Former Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar will plead guilty to federal charges that outline a City Hall-based bribery and money laundering scheme in which he took more than $1.5 million in cash, gambling trips, and escorts in exchange for his support of a planned downtown hotel project, according to court papers obtained Jan. 19 by City News Service.

Huizar’s plea agreement to racketeering conspiracy and tax evasion was signed Jan. 18 and filed in Los Angeles federal court Thursday afternoon.