A California state senator previously charged with bribery pleaded not guilty Thursday to a new count of racketeering and to previously filed charges of accepting and soliciting bribes in exchange for exerting his influence in Sacramento, according to Reuters.
The revised indictment unsealed last week also alleges that state Sen. Leland Yee, a San Francisco Democrat, sought money in exchange for helping pass legislation making it harder for professional football players to obtain workers compensation in California, Reuters reported.
The new indictment also accuses Yee of taking bribes in exchange for votes in favor of several bills, including one on medical marijuana and another to extend the life of the California State Athletic Commission, according to Reuters.
Authorities allege that an undercover FBI agent met with Yee and political adviser Keith Jackson at a restaurant on May 17, 2013, and talked about pending legislation that would limit the ability of out-of-state players to file claims in the state, according to Reuters.
Yee was a member of a Senate committee considering the bill and told the agent he controlled two votes.
The agent boasted of his connection to an unidentified NFL owner, Reuters reported. Yee then encouraged the agent to tell "owner of NFL team A" of his influence with the bill and to have the owner contact the senator "with an offer to help Yee," according to the indictment.
A month later, the undercover agent told Jackson the NFL owner would pay $60,000, which Yee approved during a phone conversation with Jackson, according to the indictment that says the money was never delivered, according to Reuters. Yee voted for the bill in committee but abstained when the full Senate passed it late last year.
The new racketeering charge against Yee accuses him of orchestrating a wide range of criminal activity, Reuters reported.
Yee previously pleaded not guilty to bribery charges and an allegation that he agreed to arrange a gun sale between an undercover FBI agent posing as a businessman and international arms dealer in exchange for campaign contributions, according to Reuters. The state Senate previously suspended Yee with pay.
