It looks like San Francisco Democrat Senator Leland Yee is still considered to be the leading contender for the Secretary of State post despite his involvement in a racketeering case. Yee, who has dropped out of the election race after he was charged in a federal indictment in March, is still included in the list of names for the ballot, Buzzfeed said.
Yee reportedly received 287,590 votes, which is equivalent to 9.8% in Tuesday's primary election for Secretary of State. The viral news site said that Yee's number was the third highest total after Democrat Alex Padilla and Republican Pete Peterson.
A supporter of gun control measures, the state senator was accused of accepting illegal payments from an undercover officer for introducing him to an arms dealer. The payments were reportedly for his failed 2011 mayoral campaign and his current secretary of state campaign. The indictment, which was a product of an secret investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, supposedly discovered Yee's attempts to tide over his $70,000 debt following his failed mayoral bid. The Associated Press also said in a separate report that his campaign staff had also aided Yee in accepting over $40,000 for official favors.
The controversy over Yee's indictment had drew calls for resignation from his party, with Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg urging the suspension of the state senator until the latter immediately resigns from his post.
The indictment stated that the US government has charged Yee with one count of conspiracy to traffic in firearms without a license and to illegally import firearms and six counts of scheme to defraud citizens of honest service.
Buzzfeed said Yee is the third California Democratic lawmaker who is facing charges this year. Senator Rod Wright has been recently convicted of perjury and voter fraud. Senator Ron Calderon, on the other hand, was charged in February in connection with a bribery scheme.
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