SF Weekly Retraction

Briggs Law San Francisco, Inc.
Pier 5 Law Offices

506 Broadway
San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: 415-702-2727
Fax: 877-796-6320
www.briggslawsanfrancisco.com
September 6, 2015
SF Weekly
835 Market Street,
Suite 550,
San Francisco, CA 94103
Via Facsimile to 415-541-9096
Dear SF Weekly Editors and journalist Chris Roberts:

I am writing about your September 2, 2015 SF Weekly article titled Shrimp Boy Associate Is Helping
Julie Christensen. Before I begin with my request and reasoning, I would like to emphasize my personal
and professional support for your efforts to expose inefficiency, waste, and corruption in our
Government. Our community needs help at this critical time. Quality journalism is critical to the future
of our residents. Thank you for doing your part.
There was a significant factual error in your recent article regarding alleged threats to David Chiu and
particularly concerning is that the error marks a significant departure from your previous and more
thorough article on the subject dated August 5, 2015 in the Examiner. The specific statement I am asking
be retracted is: . . . [Chiu] (whose physical health and safety Chow later threatened, leading to police
protection for the politician) . . . This is absolutely not true and beyond Chius allegation there is no
evidence to support it. However, for journalistic purposes, it is at the very least a disputed incident that
my client sincerely denies any involvement in. There has yet to be any agreement on the interpretation
of the Chinese newspapers 2009 message to Chiu, or any link to Chow whatsoever (Chow cannot read
or write in Cantonese either).
It is an unsupported assumption that these threats occurred. David Chiu was a former prosecutor,
presumably with the ability to assist in the prosecution of crimes effectively given his experience and
stellar education. This indicates he was skilled beyond the average citizen at capturing a culprit. He wore
a wire and attempted to provoke my client in to threatening him. The fact that the police had Chiu
under twenty four hour surveillance for six months during the same time period when the FBI was
surveilling my client for other reasons and yet no evidence was produced against my client suggests
there was never any type of legitimate threatfrom anyone. The most obvious fact supporting the
falsity of these claims is that no attempts to harm Chiu were ever made despite the fact his security
detail terminated within six months.
It should not be forgotten that Chiu was upset with Chow for staging legitimate demonstrations at
City Hall; Chow did not stage political rallies and demonstrations when he was a gangster he utilizes
those methods presently because he believes that the community and its processes are more beautiful
and powerful than doing wrong ever was. This statement in your article should be retracted and
rephrased accordingly as it is extremely harmful to my client and inevitably your readers and the
community are misled entirely.
I understand that politics around election time is similar to being in a food fight and there is a
tendency to grab what is on the table and throw it. However, using my clients name to smear a political
candidate contradicts your efforts regarding enhancing the state of affairs of our democratic process.
You have committed the precise error that the United States Attorney hoped media would commit
when they misled the public about my clients involvement in political corruption (and organized crime)
in March of 2014. To my clients detriment, you used his name to assist a candidate that many feel
offers righteous hope for the future of San Francisco. Unfortunately, the only reason my client is even
relevant is because he was indicted in an investigation that will prove to be the single biggest American
law enforcement driven desecration of democracy since this countrys inception. In violation of federal
law, the FBI used dozens of on-duty federal agents to funnel money into the campaigns of opposing
mayoral candidates in San Francisco which interfered with the Peoples democratic voice and used the
Peoples own funds to do so.
When it was said and done they indicted the unsuccessful challenger, but not the incumbent. Even
though evidence of wrongdoing is blatantly clear on the part of Ed Lees campaign operatives, not one of
those persons so much as received a slap on the wrist. Assuming we even have half of the information
surrounding who was bribed and exactly how many illegal contributions went into San Francisco
campaigns at the hands of undercover agents, the truth is almost certainly much worse. This is all in the
context of an election where the United States Attorney was asked to observe ballot locations to ensure
fair play for candidates because misconduct in favor of Lee was witnessed, and where the city attorney
sent an open letter asking the local and federal prosecutors to investigate Ed Lees campaign for money
laundering.
One way to ensure that incumbents enveloped in corruption stay in power is to unnecessarily
chastise an innocent man who is fighting for his life based on hearsay and speculation from the United
States Attorney and at the same time fail to acknowledge the cancer which has permeated our
community at every level. It is especially to the benefit of the corrupt to ignore how the United States
Attorneys relationship with local politicians keeps this force of evil in power by a foundation of injustice
shrouded in secrecy. Every one of us is complicit in this crime against democracy when we accept for
true the FBI and federal prosecutors claims simply because it helps us accomplish our weekly objective.
As trial approaches and we fight tooth and nail to balance out the prejudicial media coverage ignited
by this indictment, please remember out of all the players in your story, the person who has done the
most to get the facts in front of the public is Raymond Chow. As his lawyers, we did not make those
decisions without our client supporting this strategy and him bravely accepting the risk. He deserves far
more than to be tossed around in your article after he has pushed for openness from the very beginning.
There are enough sleazy politicians in San Francisco that it is just as easy to accomplish your objective
without buying into the Governments lie about my client and creating even more unwarranted bad
publicity for potential jurors who will have his life in their hands.
The death of real journalism is the death of America and I commend you for fighting on the front line
of that battle day in and day out. I know your job is not easy and I envy your abilities and respect the
risks you take. I am always available should you ever seek information relating to Raymond Chow and I
will assist to the best of my abilities so that your readers continue to digest thought provoking and
factual journalism that will ultimately improve the health of our democracy. I appreciate your patience
and your time in this matter.
Respectfully,
Curtis L. Briggs
Attorney for Raymond Chow

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Briggs Law San Francisco, Inc.

Pier 5 Law Offices

Via Facsimile to 415-541-9096

Dear SF Weekly Editors and journalist Chris Roberts:

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