The guilty verdicts of Jenny Hou, former campaign treasurer of Comptroller John
The guilty verdicts of Jenny Hou, former campaign treasurer of Comptroller John Liu, and Oliver Pan, Liu’s fundraiser, shocked all of Chinatown. Many Chinese voters said that although the trial had been going on for a while, they believed the two would be found not guilty, and the results yesterday (May 2) came as a surprise.
Many people said the verdicts are unfair because Hou and Pan are the victims of federal entrapment. They also worry that the case will be a big blow to the passion for participating in politics among Chinese Americans. Some called on voters to answer the hostility against Liu with a stronger support for his mayoral campaign.
Ever since the trial started, many people from the Chinese community have been to the courtroom to show their support to Hou and Pan. The Fujianese community showed great sympathy especially to Pan, who is from Fujian province in China. Jimmy Cheng, co-chair of the United Fujianese American Association, left court yesterday with a heavy heart. He said, Pan is a very warm-hearted person and he likes to help people and never expects anything in return and this has helped him build a positive reputation in the community.