A California state senator who authored gun control legislation asked for campaign donations in exchange for introducing an undercover FBI agent to an arms trafficker, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday.
The allegations against State Sen. Leland Yee were outlined in an FBI affidavit in support of a criminal complaint. The affidavit accuses Yee of conspiracy to deal firearms without a license and to illegally import firearms. He was arrested Wednesday.
(San Jose Mercury News, John Green/ Associated Press ) – Agents from the FBI and the IRS carry boxes from a home in San Mateo, Calif., on Wednesday, March 26, 2014. FBI Agent Greg Wuthrich said the raid was part of an investigation involving the arrest of State Sen. Leland Yee early Wednesday morning.(Paul Sakuma, File/ Associated Press ) – FILE – In this Feb. 14, 2011, file photo, State Sen. Leland Yee poses beside a bowl of shark fin soup during a news conference to oppose a bill to ban the sale of shark fin soup in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Yee was arrested Wednesday March 26, 2014, during a series of raids in the San Francisco Bay Area. Yee declined to discuss the charges, citing an ongoing investigation.(Rich Pedroncelli, File/ Associated Press ) – FILE – In this May 25, 2012 file, State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, speaks at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. Yee was arrested Wednesday, March 26, 2014, during a series of raids in the San Francisco Bay Area. FBI spokesman Peter Lee declined to discuss the charges, citing an ongoing investigation.(Rich Pedroncelli/ Associated Press ) – State Senate sergeant-at-arms Leroy Hamer, right, and a California highway patrol officer stand outside the office of Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, at the state Capitol, Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Sacramento, Calif. FBI spokesman Peter Lee said Yee was arrested Wednesday, he declined to discuss the charges, citing an ongoing investigation.
(San Jose Mercury News, John Green/ Associated Press ) – Agents from the FBI and the IRS carry boxes from a home in San Mateo, Calif., on Wednesday, March 26, 2014. FBI Agent Greg Wuthrich said the raid was part of an investigation involving the arrest of State Sen. Leland Yee early Wednesday morning.
Darrington Fire District 24 volunteer firefighters, Jeff McClelland, left, Jan McClelland, center, and Eric Finzimer embrace each other Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Darrington, Wash., after saying a prayer for the victims and survivors of the massive mudslide. They were among the first responders to the mudslide. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Marcus Yam) SEATTLE OUT; USA TODAY OUT; MAGS OUT; TELEVISION OUT; NO SALES; MANDATORY CREDIT TO BOTH THE SEATTLE TIMES AND MARCUS YAM
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Yee is also accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and cash payments to provide introductions, help a client get a contract and influence legislation. He or members of his campaign staff accepted at least $42,800 in cash or campaign contributions from undercover FBI agents in exchange for carrying out the agents’ specific requests, the court documents allege.
Yee discussed helping the agent get weapons worth $500,000 to $2.5 million, including shoulder fired automatic weapons and missiles, and took him through the entire process of acquiring them from a Muslim separatist group in the Philippines to bringing them to the United States, according to the affidavit by FBI Special Agent Emmanuel V. Pascua.