The Binge Cases: U R NEXT - Coming Soon: The Sellout

Episode Date: October 12, 2021

Jose Huizar grew up in Boyle Heights – a working-class Latinx neighborhood in L.A. Eventually, he became their councilperson. And, for the most part, people trusted Huizar... until the day the FBI raided his home and offices, looking for evidence of corruption. The Feds would go on to say that Huizar led a criminal enterprise based in city hall. He stands accused of taking bribes from luxury developers as his constituents were displaced from their homes. This season of Smoke Screen is a collaboration with grassroots media organization L.A. TACO. In this 9-part investigative series, journalist and host Mariah Castañeda investigates how Huizar got the power to do what he did, and how the community that raised him paid the price.  A Neon Hum Media and Sony Music Entertainment production. Coming October 26th. Listen & follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most of us know you can't trust politicians. But you know how sometimes a politician comes along that just seems different? Someone who actually seems to care about you and your neighbors who says, I'm like you. I'm a lookout for you. This is a podcast about that kind of politician. He grew up in a working class Latinx neighborhood in Los Angeles called Boyle Heights. His name is Jose Wiesard.

His upbringing was the hook for his entire persona. He's going to be the first Mexican city council member. His family's from Sakatecas. It was our own personal AOC. But it turns out the story of Jose Wiesad was too good to be true. Tonight corruption so bad, L.A. City Hall has never seen anything like it. The FBI called Wiesad the mastermind of a criminal enterprise based in City Hall. His trial is set for next year.

FBI agents left Jose Wiesar's office this afternoon with a lot of boxes, possible evidence. Tonight, outside his home, activists chanted, calling Jose Wizar a vendido, a sellout in Spanish. From Nianja Media and L.A. Taco. This is the sellout, a podcast about a Los Angeles City Council member dogged by allegations of corruption, harassment, and pathological, penis. It's about a community that feels the pain of betrayal from one of their own. Fuck you, Sleazy-weezy if you're hearing this podcast. Yeah, I just hope you have a terrible day for, you know, taking part of the ultimate sin, which is selling out your own neighborhood.

The community we saw represented found themselves in a war against gentrification, and they were ready to fight. Resistance is in the air, and we kind of have this legacy to maintain in the hood, right, of like a place that is extremely political, and that takes a stance. For years, luxury developers were allegedly bribing Waseda behind closed doors, but nobody knew. The decision to sell out, it's really heartbreaking to look at it. And I don't think anybody expected that we czar would end up in handcuffs.

This is a story about greed, but it started out hopeful. He went on to Princeton, then he went to UCLA law. So that is like the dream. And in the end, there's nothing worse than having somebody from your own community sell you out. You're a snake and you deserve to be crushed. How did Wezad get the power to do what he did?

Who helped him get what he wanted? And how did the community that raised him pay the price? I'm your host, Mariah Casimir. Subscribe to Season 3 of SmokeStreen, the Sell Out, wherever you get your podcast.