The City of San Leandro is looking to fill former councilmember Bryan Azevedo’s seat after he retired on Feb. 10.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Azevedo pleaded guilty to federal charges the next day. The charges involve conspiracy to accept bribes and lying to federal investigators. His next court appearance is on Dec. 3.
Azevedo’s plea included admission to accepting a free trip to Vietnam with 10 days worth of hotel stays and meals. Azevedo agreed with two co-conspirators to use his status as a councilmember in order to convince the city to purchase their modular housing units. His co-conspirators said Azevedo would get a percentage of the sales if he set up a bank account under his wife’s name.
The city council decided on filling Azevedo’s seat through appointment. This involves an application process where an appointment is made by April 11. Interested candidates have from now until March 10 to complete an application. The position opened Feb. 23.
Councilmember Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton spoke against the illegal actions taken by Azevedo and apologized to San Leandro residents, voters, city staff and businesses.
“While those actions were not taken by this body, accountability does not stop with that individual,” she said at the Feb. 17 city council meeting. “But as elected officials we are accountable for the systems that we oversee and the trust that is placed in us.”
Mayor Juan Gonzalez addressed the guilty pleas on a Feb. 11 video statement to residents. “The sacred trust between you as the voter and us as electeds, that trust serves as the foundation for Democracy. And today’s admission by Councilmember Azevedo, represents a violation of that trust.”
