San Francisco Official Charged With Nine Felonies

A San Francisco elected official already under federal investigation for extorting a hefty bribe from a businessman, has been ordered to stand trial on nine felony counts of perjury and voter fraud for lying about his residence to vote and run for office.

After listening to days of incriminating testimony against San Francisco Supervisor Ed Jew, a Bay Area Superior Court judge ruled that there is sufficient evidence to merit a trial, which is scheduled to begin later this month.

The embattled official is charged with lying about where he lived to become a supervisor, casting two illegal ballots in an election and later perjuring himself to cover up the wrongdoing. At this week’s court hearing numerous witnesses – including neighbors and postal workers–testified that Jew did not live at the address where he claimed to reside.

Jew was already in trouble for possibly taking a bribe when the residency and perjury controversy surfaced recently. Federal authorities have been investigating whether he accepted a $40,000 cash payment from a businessman having difficulty obtaining permits from the city.

Supervisors in the Northern California municipality yield quite a bit of power since they preside over the city as well as the county. Jew, a third generation San Franciscan whose grandfather emigrated from China in the 1900s, was elected two years ago.

Judicial Watch is a non-partisan, educational foundation dedicated to fighting government and judicial corruption and promoting a return to ethics and morality in our nation’s public life. To view the Judicial Watch Internet site click here (www.judicialwatch.org).