Anti-Game Violence Crusader Leland Yee Arrested On Charges Of Bribery, Corruption And Arms Trafficking

[Reefa]

Well, I'd like to say this is ironic, but it isn't anything of the sort, although it does carry with it a little bit of schadenfreude. Leland Yee, a longtime combatant of free speech (via his attempts to regulate the sales of violent videogames), has been arrested for bribery and corruption charges.

California State Senator Leland Yee (D), a driving force behind California's legislative efforts to restrict minors' access to violent video games, has been arrested on charges of bribery and corruption, according to numerous local media reports.

Yee, who is running for California Secretary of State, saw his office raided by FBI agents this morning in service of multiple arrest and search warrants, according to San Francisco's KCRA. The raid follows a grand jury indictment of Yee, as reported by San Francisco's ABC7. Sacramento's Fox 40 reports that concurrent, related raids are being conducted on Chinatown locations with possible drug connections.

As more new came out, the story got even more ridiculous as the politician who was so against video game violence is also charged with arms trafficking. Fake guns? Ban 'em! Real guns? Let's get down to business!

Yee and an intermediary allegedly met repeatedly with an undercover FBI agent, soliciting campaign contributions in exchange for setting up a deal with international arms dealers.

At their first face-to-face meeting in January, "Senator Yee explained he has known the arms dealer for a number of years and has developed a close relationship with him," an FBI affidavit says, noting Yee told the agent the arms dealer "has things that you guys want."

At this point, all wrongdoing is still alleged (including possible ties to drug dealers) and, it must be noted, this is based on a grand jury indictment, something often entirely unrelated to any actual evidence of wrongdoing.

Still, if you're someone who actively strives to regulate the moral choices made by your constituents, you had better make sure your own life is damn near spotless. And let's not forget that Yee spent nearly $2 million in taxpayer funds fighting for the government's "right" to regulate speech. This is its own form of abuse, one that no legislator ever seems to be punished for: riding political hobby horses at the expense of a public that is broadly opposed to the legislation being pursued.

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[Reefa]

Updated: Charging documents and a press release published by the Department of Justice charge Yee with firearms trafficking and six counts of fraud. Yee allegedly accepted donations over legal limits from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for "multiple official acts." The arrest dragnet also includes many members of the allegedly criminal Chee Kung Tong organization, including leader Raymond “Shrimpboy” Chow.]

Yee was the author and main sponsor of California's infamous 2005 law that sought to criminalize the sale of violent video games to children. The law was struck down by numerous courts before finally being overturned for good by the US Supreme Court in 2011 on First Amendment grounds. The failed legislative and legal effort ended up costing California taxpayers $1.8 million in attorney's fees alone.

Through it all, Yee remained a staunch defender of the idea that the state should aid parents in making violent games harder for children to access. He has given numerous statements over the years to that effect. "Plain and simply, the current rating system is drastically flawed, and here is yet another reason why we need legislation to assist parents and protect children," Yee told GameIndustry.biz in 2006. "This is the same technology the armed forces use to help soldiers kill the enemy. All we're saying is, 'Don't sell it to kids,'" he told The San Jose Mercury News in 2008. "When you fight the good fight for a cause you know is right and just, and it's about protecting kids, you don't ever regret that," Yee told The Sacramento Bee in 2012.

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