Westminster City Councilmember Amy Phan West has found herself on the other side of the law, charged with a misdemeanor count of bribery. The charge comes after West allegedly attempted to sway a city parking control officer to overlook the need for towing her husband’s Jeep, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Herein lies the narrative of a council member's fall into the very pitfalls of power she was once elected to fight against.
Running an alleged car rental business through the Turo app, Amy Phan West and her husband had attracted more than just customers. Throughout 2023, Westminster parking officials were called over 20 times to the couple’s business location on reports of dirty, unregistered, or supposedly abandoned vehicles, as reported by the Orange County District Attorney's Office. In April of that year, an abandoned Jeep, registered to Phan West’s husband, became the subject of attention, leading to the events sparking this year’s charge.
When the officers arrived on the scene and began the process of having the vehicle towed, Phan West identified herself, requesting the officers to leave the Jeep and promising she would address the issue herself. She mentioned her affinity for the Westminster Police Department, dropped names, including that of the police chief, and alluded to her influence over department pay raises, still amidst negotiations with the police officers' union, as per the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
The parking officers aborted the call for the tow truck on her request, leaving the Jeep unimpeded. This led to an investigation and eventual charge, with Phan West scheduled for arraignment on February 24, 2025, at the Stephen K. Tamura Justice Center in Westminster. "The law applies equally to everyone, including elected officials," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. "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," as stated by the Orange County District Attorney's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Matthew Bradbury of Special Prosecutions.
