Former Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitchell Englander was arrested March 9 on federal corruption charges in connection with an ongoing FBI investigation into possible bribery schemes, multiple news outlets report.
According to NBC4 Los Angeles, Englander, 49, was accused of obstructing an FBI investigation into whether he accepted thousands of dollars in cash, trips to Las Vegas and Palm Springs, and female escort services from a businessman who wanted his approval for a number of real estate projects.
Englander, who is Jewish, represented the north San Fernando Valley on the Council before retiring in 2018. He was one of the few Republicans on the council.
According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Englander was taken into custody Monday morning after he was named in a seven-count indictment returned by a grand jury on Jan. 16.
If convicted as charged, Englander could face a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison. ABC7 reports that Englander was arraigned in the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and Courthouse.
In June 2013, Englander along with councilmember Paul Koretz passed an anti-BDS resolution stating that the city of Los Angeles would continue awarding city contracts without considering issues related to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
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