Former CA state senator pleads guilty to racketeering

A former state senator pleads guilty to one count of racketeering.  U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch is looking into violations of the Muhammad Ali Act.  A popular boxing and concert promoter is hit with multiple multi-million antitrust lawsuits and you can now catch a case for “backseat driving”.[adsenseyu2]

Antitrust Lawsuit

Alan Haymon was hit with a $300 million antitrust lawsuit by Top Rank Inc. this week.  The lawsuit, Top Rank Inc. v. Haymon, et al., filed July 1, 2015, claims the defendants are “rigging the boxing industry so they can act as manager, promoter, sponsor and ticket broker for nearly every major professional boxer competing in the United States” and have violated the Sherman Act and California Unfair Competition Law.  The plaintiffs further argue Haymon is acting as both a manager and promoter, which is in direct violation of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act signed by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, to address exploitative and anti-competitive practices within professional boxing.

This lawsuit follows a similar lawsuit filed by Oscar de la Hoya and Bernard Hopkins in Golden Boy Promotions LLC, et al. v Haymon.

Backseat Driving

In the case of Navarrete v Meyer, the 4th District Court of Appeal has ruled that a passenger who engages in reckless “backseat driving” may now be liable as an aider and abettor or co-conspirator for a vehicular collision.  Brandon Coleman was driving and his passenger, Hayley Meyer, encouraged him to do 80mph in a residential street where the posted speed limit was 25mph.  Meyer was aware of the speed bumps in the street and encouraged the driver to speed down the street.  The driver lost control of the car and hit Navarrette’s car, where her husband, Esteban Soto, was killed on impact, as he was putting his baby in their car seat.

Guilty on racketeering

Former state senator Leland Yee, plead guilty to one count of racketeering, where he was accused of extorting an unidentified NFL team owner for campaign money.  Yee was charged with political corruption, gun trafficking and money laundering.  The plea deal submitted includes no sentencing terms, but remaining charges against Yee and his co-defendants, are expected to be dropped.

Yee could receive a fine of $250,000, 20 years in prison, potential forfeiture of assets, restitution and deportation.  He is charged with the various crimes as they relate to Yee’s attempts to raise funds for his political campaign.