Democrats in California, New York, and North Carolina were targeted by the FBI on Wednesday. All are targets of unrelated federal investigations.
Democratic state Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco was taken in by federal authorities on public corruption charges after a series of FBI raids Wednesday morning. Also arrested as part of the investigation was "infamous Chinatown gangster Raymond ‘Shrimp Boy’ Chow," according to the San Jose Mercury News.
Yee was a candidate for California Secretary of State.
New York Assemblyman William Scarborough (D., Queens) had both his Queens and Albany offices raided by FBI agents on Wednesday and was met by agents at his hotel room.
The FBI is investigating per diem payments that reimburse legislators for days spent in the Capitol.
Scarborough told reporters that the FBI raid is the result of a "tabloid hit job."
Charlotte, N.C., Democratic Mayor Patrick Cannon was arrested on public corruption charges of theft and bribery as a result of a four-year FBI sting operation.
Cannon collected cash bribes and other items of value from undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen who wanted to do business in Charlotte, according to U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Anne Tompkins.
The month of March has been rife with Democrats on the crime blotter.
Rhode Island’s Democratic Speaker of the House Gordon Fox had both his home and office raided by the FBI last week. Illinois state Rep. Keith Farnham, also a Democrat, had his home and office raided as the FBI searched for documents "pertaining to the possession, receipt or distribution of child pornography."