On August 23, 2006, former Los Angeles City Commissioner Leland Wong entered a plea of “not guilty” to a 20-count indictment of “pay-to-play” allegations as a result of an intense investigation of former Mayor James Hahn’s administration.
After a lengthy media blitz targeting a number of questionable practices, it appears that Wong is the only case to face indictment.
This case is a chilling reminder of how easy it is for Asian Americans to be singled out and prosecuted by the media and be burdened with the pressure of being perceived as “guilty” until proven “innocent.”
After all, we are often perceived as foreigners versus Americans, and therefore, seem to be held to a higher standard of proof of innocence, such as in the case of nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee and Chaplain Captain James Yee.
I experienced this “guilt by association” threat during the Clinton campaign finance scandal since I was the only APA serving on the executive board of the Democratic National Committee at that time.
Even though I was never interviewed or charged with any wrongdoing, the experience caused me and my family the pain of public embarrassment and approximately $40,000 in legal fees just to prove I was innocent.
But, during this time, no one suffered more than my friend John Huang, who was singled out to take the fall for all the mishaps that occurred during this scandal because he was an easy target.
At that time, only a handful of APAs were willing to speak out on behalf of Huang, who was being unmercifully skewered by the media and scandalized by Clinton’s enemies.
As his financial resources dwindled and as he faced what his family had to endure as he fought the charges against him, he finally relented to plea to lesser charges and paid a fine that allowed him and his family to move on with their lives.
Times have changed.
I am so encouraged and proud of the list of supporters of Leland Wong, which reads like a “who’s who” in the APA leadership of the Los Angeles community.
These established political, community and business leaders are very visible and vocal in their support of Wong.
And why not?
Wong, born and raised in L.A. Chinatown, was one of the first high-profile APA public affairs executive to work for a major corporation, Kaiser Permanente.
He never forgot his roots.
Not only did Wong educate the APA nonprofit organizations on how to seek their fair share of corporate foundation funds, he also educated corporations about the importance of including APA communities into their corporate giving profiles.
According to The CAUSE Report by the Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment, Wong had a “remarkable career rising from a mere city council staffer to become one of the most powerful political brokers in Los Angeles … serving on some of the most powerful city commissions for over a decade.”
In an editorial, the nationally respected APA leader Angela Oh, writes “Leland Wong’s reputation for being a committed, honest and smart political operative is well known among those who have worked with him for more than a decade in local, state, and national politics. His ability to work with high level officials and corporate officers and be equally effective in grass-roots efforts in this region is not only well known, but highly regarded. … The stories that have recently appeared in The Los Angeles Times do not reflect the reality of the person this community has come to know and admire.”
As this case goes to trial this month, Leland’s supporters are wasting no time expanding community support and raising money for Leland’s legal fees, which they estimate may be close to $1 million.
They are even circulating a sign-up sheet that says:
We, the Friends of Leland Wong, hereby declare:
Leland Wong — like each and every individual in this country — has the complete, unconditional right to the presumption of innocence.
Leland Wong has the right to his day in court, to a fair trial and the right not to be tried in the media.
We encourage all reporters to abide by the highest journalistic standards and ethics and avoid getting caught up in a media frenzy.
Reporters should check the facts when reporting on this story and keep in mind that none of the charges has been proven. In fact, there has been no fair hearing at all yet — that is the purpose of a trial.
Anyone interested in helping can e-mail Friends_of_LW@yahoo.com or call (213) 327-0610.
Excuse me while I go write my check.