Free Republic

Julie Lee, the Sunset District community organizer and political fundraiser who illegally funneled state grant money into a campaign account of former California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, was sentenced Friday to five years of probation for state crimes that included grand theft, embezzlement and forgery. Lee pleaded guilty to the state charges in July, just days after being convicted of similar federal crimes. Last month, U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton sentenced Lee to a year and a day behind bars and denied a request from Lee's attorneys that she be sentenced to probation and house arrest. On Friday, San...

The San Francisco community organizer who illegally funneled state grant money into a campaign account of former California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley was sentenced this morning to a year and a day behind bars. In July, a federal court found Julie Lee guilty of mail fraud and witness tampering charges. Shelley resigned months after The Chronicle broke news of the money-funneling scheme that involved a $500,000 grant for a Sunset District community center that was never built. Shelley was never charged with any crimes and denied knowing about Lee's intentions. Lee made an emotional plea for leniency in court,...

San Francisco community organizer Julie Lee, whose questionable fundraising helped push former California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley out of politics, has pled guilty to state criminal charges just days after a jury found her guilty on federal charges. Lee, 62, pleaded guilty to all nine counts brought against her in state court, including grand theft, embezzlement and forgery. The charges relate to an alleged scheme to funnel part of a $500,000 state grant intended for a community center into Shelley's 2002 election campaign. The community center was never built.In a statement released today, The San Francisco District Attorney's office...

The defense's case in the Sacramento trial of San Francisco political power broker Julie Lee was short and sensational Wednesday. The only witness called was Willie Brown, an icon of California politics, Assembly speaker longer than any other person and two-term mayor of San Francisco. Brown, nattily dressed as always in a gray suit and dark shirt and tie, had high praise for Lee as a grass-roots activist who shared his goal while mayor to build a community center for families and youths in the heavily Chinese American Sunset district on the city's west side. "It was something that everybody...

SAN FRANCISCO -- A city audit has found that a controversial nonprofit group founded by political fundraiser Julie Lee overbilled the city for personnel costs, had questionable radio advertising costs and poorly documented its expenses and services. Released this morning, the report recommends that Lee, who is heading to trial on state and federal indictments related other financial dealings of the San Francisco Neighbors Resource Center, return $6,666 to the city. If she cannot document her organization's expenses, the city's Department of Children Youth and their Families should demand an additional $155,493 of nearly $170,000 in grants it gave her,...

Secretary of State Bruce McPherson has dropped plans to sue predecessor Kevin Shelley in an attempt to recover nearly $3 million in federal funds that were misspent or mismanaged. McPherson, who lost to Democrat Debra Bowen in his bid for re-election, has decided not to hire private attorneys to file suit on behalf of his agency in the final six weeks of his term. "At this point, it's up to (Bowen) to recover the money,"

Testimony shows indicted fundraiser sought political power. Jeffrey Chen, former attorney for San Francisco political fundraiser Julie Lee, suggests that her desire to help her son resulted in an alleged campaign finance scheme that drove former Secretary of State Kevin Shelley from office. A redacted transcript of Chen's grand jury testimony that was made public this week shows Chen participated with Lee in an alleged scheme in which part of a state grant was diverted to Shelley's campaign. Portions of the transcript were kept sealed based on the judge's ruling that they revealed confidential communication protected by attorney-client privilege. Chen...