Controversial Westminster Councilwoman Amy Phan West has been charged with attempting to bribe a city parking enforcement officer in order to avoid her husband’s car being towed, the Orange County District Attorney announced yesterday. She will be arraigned on February 25.
The 42-year old Phan West and her husband have allegedly been operating a car rental business through the Turo app (a sort of AirBnB for car rentals) near the area of Dorothy Street and Melanie Lane in Westminster. City parking officials responded to more than 20 calls for service for dirty, unregistered, or abandoned vehicles at that location during 2023.
In April of that year, two parking control officers arrived to tow a Jeep – registered to Phan West’s husband – which had been reported as abandoned. The councilwoman identified herself to the officers and allegedly pressed them not to tow her husband’s Jeep.
“She is also accused of telling the parking control officers how much she loves the Westminster Police Department, that she is close friends with the Westminster police chief, and that she is in the process of getting raises for police department personnel,” according to the OCDA. She allegedly brandished her Westminster Police Department keychain.
The parking officers then decided not to two Councilwoman Phan West’s husband’s Jeep.
At the time, the Phan West and her council colleagues were engaged in contract negotiations with the Westminster Police Officers’ Association.
“The law applies equally to everyone, including elected officials. Holding elective office does not entitle anyone to a separate set of rules and any attempt to engage in corruption, bribery, or any other crime under the shroud of elective office will be thoroughly investigated and any and all crimes that have been committed will be prosecuted by my office to the fullest extent of the law,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
“I have no comment except for I never talked to any officer. I don’t even know who the officer is,” Phan West told the Voice of OC. “I never talked to any officer about this.”
The misdemeanor bribery charge comes on the heels of Phan West being sued by her own city government for routinely disrupting city council meetings and making it extremely difficult for the body to conduct the public’s business. Her council colleagues also censured her last year for unruly behavior.
