As of press time for this issue of the Boulevard Sentinel on Dec. 27, there was no official word from the FBI as to why it raided two offices and the home of José Huizar last November.
There have been no charges and no arrests in connection with the raids.
Recent reporting from the L.A.Times, citing two unnamed sources, said that FBI agents are looking into the activities of a big time lobbyist, Morrie Goldman, and a big time developer, Art Gastelum, both of whom have ties to Mr. Huizar and his wife, Richelle.
According to the L.A. Times report, Mr. Goldman has represented companies that are developing huge real estate projects in the downtown L.A. area of Mr. Huizar’s CD 14. Both Mr. Goldman and Mr. Gastelum have raised money for candidates seeking city office In October, Mr. Gastelum helped host a fundraiser for Richelle Huizar, who was briefly a candidate to replace her husband on the City Council, but quit after the FBI raid.
The L.A. Times also noted that it is unclear why the FBI is interested in the activities of Mr. Goldman and Mr. Gastelum, and that seeking information from or about the men does not necessarily mean they are targets of any particular investigation.
T.A. Hendrickson, a native of Eagle Rock, is the editor of the Boulevard Sentinel and a former member of the Editorial Board of the New York Times.
