Although the accusations that finally brought down California Senator Leland Yee are for bribery when he was running for mayor of San Francisco and State Secretary of State, he also spent a lot of time doing non-illegal but questionable crafting of legislation for the many special interests that helped fund his campaigns over the years.
The FBI arrested Yee in March for allegedly accepting $62,600 in a sting operation with undercover agents. He has been suspended from his Senate duties while he fights the charges.
His legislative and campaign finance records during the period covered by the FBI investigation indicate that he operated under the “pay-to-play” environment that is so common in Sacramento.
That included legislative activities on behalf of gaming interests in the Golden State.
In 2013 Yee championed the cause of Hollywood Park Casino and other card rooms that have battled for the right to invest in foreign casinos that offer games they are legally prevented from offering at their own operations.
He also backed a bill supported by Bay 101 Casino in San Jose, also a card room. Both bills are in limbo, but he did collect $4,461 in donations from Hollywood Park and $9,000 from Bay 2010 in the last three years. He also collected contributions from Larry Flynt’s Hustler Casino, Hawaiian Gardens and Commerce Casino.
