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Yee…….?

Yee….? That is the extent of a title for this post that I can come up with.  The SacBee was on this yesterday, but the DJ has the details.

A California state senator who authored gun control legislation asked for campaign donations in exchange for introducing an undercover FBI agent to an arms trafficker, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday.

Yee is the third Democratic state senator in California to face charges this year. Sen. Rod Wright was convicted of perjury and voter fraud for lying about his legal residence in Los Angeles County, and Sen. Ron Calderon has been indicted on federal corruption charges. Wright and Calderon are taking a voluntary leave of absence, with pay, although Republicans have called for them to be suspended or expelled from the Legislature.

Yee, 65, represents western San Francisco and much of San Mateo County. He is best known for his efforts to strengthen open records, government transparency and whistle-blower protection laws, including legislation to close a loophole in state public records laws after the CSU Stanislaus Foundation refused to release its $75,000 speaking contract with former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in 2010.

That was the old days…when CSU speaking fees were news instead of gun running.  You guys know I am a huge Herb Caen fan and it's days like these when I wish Herb were still around to put this in context of gun running back in the Gold Rush or bootlegging days.  So when you read about 10 round or 15 round magazines are being debated in Sacramento, just remember the allegation "Yee discussed helping the agent get weapons worth $500,000 to $2.5 million, including shoulder-fired missiles".  I'm tempted to start a new category but I can't decide what it would be.  Now, about Leland's last high-cost rail vote…will Darrell Steinberg be questioning that too???????

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13 responses to “Yee…….?”

  1. hillsider

    It’s a long, ugly story but right at the end the Millbrae mayor steps up for Leland
    http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-sting-shows-san-francisco-chinatown-underworld-201940947;_ylt=ApxPaunTvdK5uNNlNpX_9FbQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTBsbzR0bHJyBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHNlYwNzcg–

  2. holyroller@hotwire.com

    How much worse can things become when it comes to politicaions doing the Abosolute opposite of what they say..”I Stand For fill… in the blank.
    Mr Lee reminds me of any School Teacher, Catholic Priest,Rabbi, Coach, that seeks to become a “trusted authority” to have contact and molest children, or handicapped people.
    Mr. Lee should get the maxium penalty available.
    How can anyone have faith in any politicaion,anywhere in the USA?
    This guy got caught…
    How many have not?

  3. Joe

    He hasn’t been “caught” until found guilty. Here is the Times’ recap of the possible defense:
    http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_25458592/sen-yee-court-briefly-remains-free#insidebayarea

  4. Bruce Dickinson

    Listen, guys, I may sound like a broken record, but I gotta tell you, incentives are key here. If you were a politician, would speaking your mind and telling how you really feel make you successful? I would be remiss if I didn’t say No Way! To get re-elected and ascend the party ranks, you have to conform to the party’s views and what you think your electorate wants. So you do whatever it takes to get re-elected. I guarantee you, if a politician told you how they really feel about an issue, it would be so polarizing that they would last one term and that’s it. The goal is to give a certain veneer of leadership, read your constituency, and say the things that are most appealing to the greatest number of people without getting you in trouble.
    Reflecting back on my legendary career, Bruce Dickinson was put in the somewhat compromising position of producing 3 hit singles on an album and then getting rushed to wrap things up on the rest of the songs because the other songs didn’t matter–what mattered were those few hit singles that would sell the album. I hated doing it, but that’s how I ascended the ranks. Once I made a name for myself, I could then explore the space and do anything I wanted. With politicians, you can’t even do that when you’re President.
    That’s why you have the “flip flop” problem or once in a while you catch politicians doing something completely disingenuous or contrary to what they were saying. In city council or local government it may be different because you have some that are there for the love of the community. Just beware of those who use these offices as a stepping stone for something bigger, as they are likely to say anything to get re-elected and really care about the power and ladder climbing more than protecting the community’s interests.

  5. Anne

    We should not forget the other San Fran politician with the Burlingame connection who is in trouble with the law. Ed Jew was living near Roosevelt School and claiming to be living in his San Fran district. That was the start.
    http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Ex-Supervisor-Jew-gets-new-jail-sentence-5377735.php

  6. Rongdong

    Thats great stuff. It brought up the CW Nevius piece on the same page about Yee http://blog.sfgate.com/cwnevius/2014/04/04/shrimpgate-san-francisco-asks-who-are-these-people/
    I always liked that guy and he outdid himself on this one. I didnt know this part But again, let’s remember, this isn’t some small time operator. Jackson is the former president of the San Francisco School Board. The School Board!

  7. Joe

    The operative word here is the newspapers “sued:
    De León also said he had directed staff to begin working on releasing documents shedding light on the calendars of two suspended state senators, Leland Yee of San Francisco and Ron Calderon of Montebello, who are facing federal charges. The Bay Area News Group and Los Angeles News Group sued to gain access to the calendars after the Senate rejected their Legislative Open Records Act requests.
    Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article23224794#storylink=cpy

  8. the common denominator

    The SF Chronicle has an entertaining “Leland Yee Saga” page with updates.
    State Senator, Democratic Party Leader, School Board President and Notorious SF Gangster(s) – they ALL hang out together? Wow!
    What does that say about the common denominator across them ALL?
    http://www.sfchronicle.com/lelandyee/

  9. Joe

    I guess the evidence was pretty tight:
    Former state Sen. Leland Yee faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine after a deal in federal court Wednesday in which he pleaded guilty to one felony count of racketeering.
    Yee, a San Francisco Democrat, will be sentenced on Oct. 21.
    Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article25986487#storylink=cpy

  10. The Titanic Local and State Corruption

    Tip of the iceberg, my friends.
    https://www.google.com/search?site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=2021&bih=982&q=tip+of+the+iceberg&oq=tip+of+the+iceberg&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1370.5022.0.5247.18.11.0.7.7.0.132.915.6j4.10.0….0…1ac.1.64.img..1.17.969.oElhKMwpQ5E

  11. Joe

    The other shoe is about to drop on Leland Yee:
    The U.S. attorney’s office is seeking 96 months in custody, three years of supervised release and a $25,000 fine for former California Sen. Leland Yee, who pleaded guilty last July to one count of felony racketeering.
    In a sentencing memorandum filed Wednesday, Brian Stretch, acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, cited a “pattern of corruption” and the “cynical, rather than altruistic, nature” of Yee’s public service in asking the court to impose a harsh sentence on the San Francisco Democrat. Stretch argued that providing Yee, 67, with a slap on the wrist would invite other elected officials to follow his lead in trading campaign contributions for political favors.
    Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article60970082#emlnl=Morning_Newsletter#storylink=cpy

  12. Joe

    And the conclusion of the tale:
    A federal judge has sentenced former California state senator Leland Yee to five years in prison after he acknowledged in a plea deal that he accepted thousands of dollars in bribes and discussed helping an undercover FBI agent buy automatic weapons from the Philippines.
    Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/article62217022#storylink=cpy

  13. hollyroller@hotwire.com

    YEE HOO!
    Whatever happened to Mr. Jew?

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