SF Supervisor Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Charges

A rookie San Francisco lawmaker accused of attempting to extort $80,000 from a group of fast-food business owners pleaded not guilty Friday.

Supervisor Ed Jew, charged Thursday with one federal count of mail fraud, appeared briefly in U.S. District Court, then was released on $1 million bond.

The charge came after an FBI sting where prosecutors say the operators of a group of tapioca drink shops gave Jew $40,000 in cash and said they would paid him another $40,000 later.

Jew, 47, has acknowledged taking the money but said he did so at the businessmen's insistence and on behalf of a consultant he recommended they hire to help with their permit problem.

Jew's attorney Steven Gruel said the federal government's case was weak, calling the mail fraud charge a "throwaway charge because you can't get something else" and questioning what kind of influence Jew could have had over the issuing of city permits.

"He doesn't control the planning commission," Gruel said. "And he certainly doesn't control what types of permits are necessary for retailers."

The supervisor is already facing felony charges of perjury and election code violations for allegedly lying about where he lived so he could run for office in San Francisco. Jew has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Mayor Gavin Newsom issued a statement Thursday calling on Jew to resign.

Newsom has requested a one-on-one sit-down with Jew, but the supervisor would only meet with the mayor with lawyers present, Gruel said. He said Jew had no plans to resign.

Jew's trial on the perjury and election code allegations is set to begin late next month. Gruel questioned the timing of the U.S. government's filing of the "media-friendly" complaint, claiming the wide publicity surrounding the federal charge would taint the jury pool in the other case.

"I have grave concerns whether or not the supervisor can get a fair trial in San Francisco on those state charges," Gruel said.