Raymond Chan, was the Mayor Garcetti appointed General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). After resigning, Chan served a year as a Los Angeles deputy mayor for economic development until June 2017. It was under Chan that Millennium’s improper seismic studies were accepted and approved by LADBS. Those “faulty” studies continue to corrupt the current EIR for the newly named “Hollywood Center Project“.
A March 15, 2012 email obtained by STMH’s legal team shows communications between Millennium’s attorneys Sheppard Mullin informing Chan: “there is a Hollywood Fault trace mapped by the California Geological Survey.” Millennium’s Environmental Impact Report, however, says that the fault is 0.4 miles from the site. LADBS’ Chief Inspector, Training and Emergency Management Luke Zamperini told a reporter “”We have strong suspicion that there is a fault in the proximity of the proposed project.”
The LAist has put a great timeline of the City Corruption scandal which began when the FBI raided Jose Huizar’s office in 2018.
Los Angeles City Councilmembers Mitch Englander, Jose Huizar, Curren D. Price Jr. and former City officials Raymond Chan and Joel Jacinto are just a few of the names implicated in the scandal. Many held sway over approving Millennium’s first Hollywood Project in 2013. Attorney Robert P. Silverstein and Stop the Millennium fought and won at the trial court, Court of Appeal, and California Supreme Court. Is it any wonder why the Department of City Planning has repeatedly refused to extend the comment period to the DEIR (Draft Environmental Impact Report)?
Let’s track the names of City officials and how they relate to Millennium Partners, LLC approval:
- Former city councilmember Mitch Englander pled guilty to federal obstruction of justice in March 2020. Englander served on the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee in 2013. At PLUM’s June 18, 2013 public hearing, Englander, Huizar and 11 other city councilmembers voted unanimously (as they do) approving the Millennium project.
- At its July 24, 2013 Los Angeles City Council hearing (at 01:05:30), serving as President Pro Tempore, Englander led the full City Council hearing that approved the Millennium EIR and project.
- Chief of Englander’s staff John Lee, admitted to going on trips to Vegas that were part of the federal indictment of Englander.
- Former city councilmember Joel Jacinto and later Mayor Garcetti appointed Public Works commissioner, quit after being indicted by the FBI.
In September 2013, George Abrahams, on behalf of Stop the Millennium Hollywood filed an ethics complaint raising questions about conflict of interests between Chan and the Millennium project. Chan’s son, Jeremy Chan was employed by Millennium’s lead counsel and lobbyist, Sheppard, Mullin. Chan was not reprimanded by the City. On the contrary, instead of cleaning house, Mayor Garcetti promoted Chan to Deputy Mayor.
On July 20, 2018 (before the FBI raided Huizar’s office) the FBI served a search warrant commanding Google to produce all evidence and communications related to Chan’s gmail account.
Check out this article for a closer look into Chan’s involvement in the corruption probe.
Visit our YouTube post HERE to watch Stop the Millennium confront Raymond Chan on his conflict of interests.
Stop the Millennium Hollywood threw up the red flag on the City back in 2013. It is now 2020. The public is watching as the probe continues.
