Embattled SF Supervisor Jew Rejects Plea Deal

A rookie San Francisco lawmaker charged with lying about where he lived so he could run for office rejected a plea offer that would have required him to resign, according to his defense lawyer.

Prosecutors and Supervisor Ed Jew's lawyer refused to disclose any other details of the proposed deal that would have canceled Jew's criminal trial scheduled to begin on Sept. 28. A judge gave them until Wednesday afternoon to work out a compromise.

"There will not be any plea bargain," Bill Fazio, Jew's lawyer, said after meeting with prosecutors in the judge's chambers Monday. "Any part of their offer would require Supervisor Jew to resign from his position on the Board of Supervisors and that's not acceptable to the supervisor."

Jew faces nine felony counts of perjury and election fraud stemming from allegations that he was not living in San Francisco when he submitted his candidacy papers last summer.

The city attorney also is seeking permission from the state attorney general to remove Jew from office.

Questions about Jew's residency arose after agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who were investigating allegations the first-term lawmaker had solicited a $40,000 bribe, raided his Chinatown flower shop and the home he listed as his permanent address. Neighbors said the home, which is owned by Jew's father, had been vacant for years.