Mitchell Englander Explained

Mitchell Englander
Birth Date:25 July 1970
Birth Place:West Hills, Los Angeles, California
Office:Member of the Los Angeles City Council from the 12th District
Term Start:July 1, 2011
Term End:December 31, 2018
Predecessor:Greig Smith
Successor:Greig Smith
Office1:President pro tempore of the
Los Angeles City Council
Term Start1:July 1, 2013
Term End1:January 22, 2019
Predecessor1:Ed Reyes
Successor1:Nury Martinez
Party:Republican

Mitchell Englander (born 1970) is an American former politician who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council, representing District 12 in the San Fernando Valley, until he resigned December 31, 2018. While serving in City Council, he was the only member of the city council who was registered as Republican.[1]

Englander resigned in order to take a job with Oak View Group. He was subsequently indicted on corruption charges, as part of a major corruption probe at Los Angeles City Hall. Englander pleaded guilty to one felony charge on June 7, 2020.[2] [3]

Biography

Englander was born in 1970 in West Hills in the San Fernando Valley. According to an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News, his parents separated when he was 5 years old, and his mother, Linda, a real-estate agent, "worked two jobs, but lost a home to foreclosure." They lived in Canoga Park with his uncle Michael, whose janitorial firm Englander worked for as a teenager. Englander attended college in Arizona but returned to California without graduating allegedly in order to care for his ailing mother, who later died of a brain tumor.[4]

In 1994, his uncle Michael, who Englander said was a father figure for him, was shot and killed in a gang-related robbery. Englander became a Los Angeles Police Department reservist in 2005 the same day his uncle was killed, Englander's older sister Natalie suffered an asthma attack and fell into a coma. She was "rushed to an emergency room whose doors were mistakenly locked." She wasn't able to receive medical aid in time and "awoke with brain damage." She lived with the Englander family for a decade before she died.[4] [5]

Prior to elected office, Englander worked as a political consultant for another uncle, and later on his own.[6] Englander is married to his "high school sweetheart". The couple appeared in the first-ever episode of House Hunters.[7]

City council

Campaign

Englander was chief of staff to City Councilman Greig Smith from 2003 to 2009, in Los Angeles City Council District 12, then in the Northwest San Fernando Valley. Like the Councilman before him, Englander joined the LAPD Reserves and used that platform to launch a run for office. In September 2009 Englander launched his campaign to succeed Smith, who had announced retirement upon his term's end.[8]

Noting that Englander was the "consummate City Hall insider," the Los Angeles Times endorsed him as "the best of several good choices." An editorial noted that Englander's "proximity" to Greig Smith had "clearly brought him advantages in fund-raising," with more than $440,000 already raised, "which is 10 times as much as his closest rival (and more than any other candidate for city office this election)." The Times said that Englander had been Smith's "proxy" and "now claims to have played the leading role in a number of Smith's accomplishments."[9] The L.A. Daily News endorsed him as well, saying that Smith presented "common-sense ideas to reform government, such as cutting general managers' base salaries but awarding bonuses to those who provide excellent service on a tight budget."[10]

Election

Englander was elected to represent City Council District 12 in the March 8, 2011 primary, receiving 57.74% of the total vote.[11] [12]

Council activity

Resignation

On October 11, 2018, Englander announced that he would resign from the council to join Oak View Group, a sports and entertainment advisory, development and investment company, as vice president of government affairs.[14] [15]

Corruption conviction

Englander was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 16, 2020, for actions taken while still on the council.[16] He was charged with one count of participating in a scheme to falsify material facts, three counts of making false statements, and three counts of witness tampering.[17] The indictment became public when Englander surrendered to the FBI on March 9, 2020.[18]

The indictment stated that this stemmed from trips to Las Vegas and Palm Springs on June 1-2, 2017, and June 10-12, 2017, paid for by unnamed people. In Las Vegas, Englander and at least two city staffers were said to have attended and received hotel rooms, VIP hotel amenities, casino chips (at least some of which were returned), limo rides, escort services, a $2,400 dinner, and a $34,000 visit to a nightclub. Englander is also alleged to have accepted an envelope containing $10,000 in cash given to him in the resort and casino's bathroom. In Palm Springs, Englander is said to have accepted another $5,000 at a casino.

On January 26, 2021, Englander was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for his conduct. He pleaded guilty in July 2020 to falsifying material facts, and as part of a plea deal admitted lying to investigators over the course of three interviews. He was also ordered to serve three years under supervised release following his prison term and pay a $15,000 fine. [19] Englander surrendered to the U.S. Federal Camp in Tucson, Arizona. He was released in February 2022.[20]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2011-jul-07-la-me-0707-zine-controller-20110707-story.html Kate Linthicum, "Dennis Zine Says He Will Run for City Controller," Los Angeles Times, July 7, 2011
  2. https://news.yahoo.com/former-l-councilman-mitchell-englander-170832459.html The Los Angeles Times on Yahoo! - "Former L.A. Councilman Mitchell Englander pleads guilty in City Hall corruption case"
  3. https://news.yahoo.com/ex-la-councilman-pleads-guilty-231343199.html Associated Press on Yahoo! - "Ex-LA councilman pleads guilty in corruption case"
  4. Web site: Video: Who Is Mitch Englander? . Ajay . Singh. Northridge Patch. February 22, 2013.
  5. http://www.dailynews.com/ci_17253206 Kevin Modesti, "Mitchell Englander," Los Angeles Daily News, January 31, 2011
  6. Web site: Mitch Englander in City Council District 12. 2011-02-05. Los Angeles Times. en-US. 2019-10-02.
  7. Web site: First-Ever 'House Hunters' Couple Recalls Their 'Horrific' Experience. Spencer. Ashley. 2019-09-30. Vice. en. 2019-10-02.
  8. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/citywide-election.html David Zahniser, "Aide to L.A. City Councilman Launches Bid for Valley Seat," Los Angeles Times, September 8, 2009
  9. https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-xpm-2011-feb-05-la-ed-council12th-20110205-story.html "Mitch Englander in City Council District 12," Los Angeles Times, February 5, 2011
  10. http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_17355517 "Council District 12 Can Benefit From Mitchell Englander's Experience in City Hall," Los Angeles Daily News, February 10, 2011
  11. http://cd12.lacity.org/AbouttheCouncilman/index.htm City of Los Angeles—Council District 12: About the Councilman
  12. http://ens.lacity.org/clk/elections/clkelections316771183_04262011.pdf Los Angeles city clerk
  13. Web site: Los Angeles' minimum wage on track to go up to $15 by 2020. Los Angeles. Times. Los Angeles Times. 19 May 2015.
  14. Alpert Reyes, Emily; Zahniser, David. "L.A. City Councilman Mitchell Englander to vacate his seat" Los Angeles Times, October 11, 2018
  15. Chou, Elizabeth. "LA councilman Mitchell Englander stepping down…" Los Angeles Daily News, October 11, 2018
  16. Web site: U.S.A v. Englander indictment. January 16, 2020. United States District Court for the Central District of California. 2020-03-10.
  17. . Ex-Los Angeles City Councilman Surrenders to Face Federal Charges of Obstructing Public Corruption Probe, Making False Statements. Los Angeles. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California. March 9, 2020. 2020-03-11.
  18. News: Ex-L.A. Councilman Englander charged with obstruction in probe alleging lavish spending and escorts. Joel. Rubin. Emily. Alpert Reyes. March 9, 2020. Los Angeles Times. 2020-03-10.
  19. Web site: 2021-01-25. Former L.A. City Councilman Mitch Englander Ordered to Serve 14 Months in Federal Prison for Scheming to Obstruct Corruption Probe. 2021-03-19. www.justice.gov. en.
  20. Web site: Inmate Locator.