centered on the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, commonly referred to as the PLUM Committee, which oversaw commercial and residential development projects in the city and was headed by the ex-councilman.
From February 2013 to November 2018, Shen Zhen, acting through Huang, provided Huizar and an aide with cash, casino gambling chips, flights on private jets and commercial airlines, stays at luxury Las Vegas hotels and casinos, expensive meals, spa services, prostitution services, political contributions and a $600,000 loan for Huizar to confidentially settle a pending sexual harassment lawsuit brought by a former staffer that threatened his re-election.
The November 2020 indictment charged Huang and Shen Zhen with bribery in three forms: bribery of a public official; interstate and foreign travel in support of bribery; and devising and participating in a scheme to defraud the city of Los Angeles and its citizens of Huizar’s honest services.