Disgraced former State Senator Leland Yee was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a complex gun smuggling and bribery case. Yee’s conviction is yet another thread in the wider picture of corruption and self-serving in California’s government and stands to expose more corruption in the future.

The Washington Post reported on the case, in which Yee was sentenced on Wednesday. The judge gave the former Senator a stiff sentence, following his associate “Shrimp Boy” Chow, who is also serving hard time.

Yee served as a close ally of current Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom and often collaborated on San Francisco issues. Yee had been convicted of accepting thousands in bribes in exchange for political favors at the time that Newsom was Mayor of San Francisco and Lt. Governor of California. Yee pleaded for leniency from the court but the sheer scale of his corruption led to his sentence.

Yee’s compatriots in crime have also had a severe fall from grace. ABC 7 also reported on the case including the statement from the Federal Judge Charles Breyer, who stated, “The crimes you committed were an attack on our democratic institutions. Mr Yee, you abused that trust.”

These moves will likely further shake an already unstable situation in California politics. With Lt. Governor Newsom already gearing up to run for Governor in 2018 this could add another wrinkle in his already rather sordid past. Yee was a famous gun control advocate and ally of Newsom’s efforts to severely restrict the rights of gun owners in California. The trail continues to lead back towards the Lt. Governor and his inner circle and may provide a major break in that direction. For more information and updates please keep your eyes here and share this article as much as possible. The effort to recall Newsom is heating up and can use volunteers!