John Lee

John S. Lee is an American politician, serving as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 12th district. Formerly a Republican, Lee is now an independent and is the only non-Democrat currently on the city council.

Early life and education Born in 1970, Lee is the son of South Korean immigrants. He graduated from Granada Hills High School and attended California State University, Northridge, but fell short of his last credits due to personal issues following the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Career Prior to being elected as the Councilmember, Lee worked for the City of Los Angeles for two decades, serving in various capacities. In his tenure he has worked for Councilmember Joel Wachs, Greig Smith, and Mitch Englander. Lee was a chief of staff for previous councilmember Mitchell Englander. Mitch Englander pled guilty to federal charges related to the on-going Los Angeles City Hall corruption probe and began serving a 14-month sentence in federal prison in June, 2021. Lee joined David Ryu as the second Asian American on the council, being sworn in on August 30, 2019. Lee came in second place after the primary election and moved into the general election versus Loraine Lundquist. After a contentious campaign cycle, Lee won the seat and served out the remainder of the term.

Environment Lee has committed to supporting the California Clean Energy Commission's proposal to close down the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility. In 2019, Lee proposed a resolution urging Governor Gavin Newsom to make good on the promise of shutting the facility down.

Homelessness Lee has advocated for Neighborhood Safety Teams that would increase the number of police patrols in business corridors, specifically dedicated to stopping crime stemming from homeless encampments. Lee has also advocated for the creation of a Housing Task Force to build housing that focuses on job training programs.

Policing and public safety Lee has been one of the biggest supporters of the Los Angeles Police Department on the council. Lee has stated his opposition for defunding the LAPD, citing the department's many reformations throughout the last decade including de-escalation and implicit bias training. He officially rejected calls to defund the LAPD when he cast one of two votes in opposition of the City Council's decision to slash the department's budget.

Transportation Lee supports allowing companies like Uber and Bird to provide e-scooters in his district; however, he stated that it should be limited and not encompass the entire district. He referenced California State University, Northridge as an example of an appropriate location for the scooters.

Controversies Corruption allegations Lee accompanied Englander as his chief of staff along with José Huizar staffer George Esparza on the June 2017 Las Vegas trip that led to Englander's corruption charges and guilty plea. Huizar and Esparza were both later charged with racketeering stemming from a related FBI investigation, to which Esparza pleaded guilty. According to the indictment in the Englander case, a top Englander staffer referred to as "City Staffer B" was given some of the same perks as Englander. Englander sent antedated checks for himself and the unnamed staffer to the businessmen who provided the perks after he was contacted by the FBI.

On October 2, 2023, Lee was charged with 10 counts by the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission on October 2, 2023 for conduct related to his 2017 Vegas trip with his predecessor Mitch Englander. Lee filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission in response to the charges against him. On December 13, 2025, a judge recommended a $43,730 penalty for Lee for repeatedly violating Los Angeles's gift laws, including on the 2017 Vegas trip. On December 17, 2025, the Ethics Commission issued Lee a $138,424 fine—the maximum financial penalty they were considering.

Sexual harassment lawsuit Lee was accused of sexual harassment and discrimination by a former aide in a 2013 lawsuit. He denied the allegations. Lee was dismissed as a defendant and the lawsuit was settled by the city for $75,000.

Personal life Lee lives in Porter Ranch, California with his wife Sheila and their two children.

Electoral history