A Westminster city councilmember accused of trying to bribe parking officers to avoid having her husband's Jeep towed is now accused of blowing the deal that was supposed to let her avoid trial altogether. Orange County prosecutors say Amy Phan West never completed the community service or ethics training a judge ordered as part of her misdemeanor diversion program, and they want a Superior Court judge to send her case back to trial when a hearing convenes on August 11.
The bribery charge against Phan West traces back to an April 2023 incident in which parking enforcement officers moved to tow an abandoned Jeep tied to a Turo car-rental business she ran with her husband, a property that had already generated more than 20 municipal calls for service that year, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors allege Phan West brandished a police department keychain and invoked ongoing police union pay-raise negotiations while pressuring officers not to tow the car. She was formally charged with attempted bribery in 2025, as LAist reports, and Hoodline previously covered the initial bribery charge filed against her.
Under California's judicial diversion law, a judge granted Phan West up to 24 months to complete court-ordered conditions in exchange for having the charge dismissed. A judge ordered her to take an ethics training course and complete 20 hours of community service, per the reporting from LAist. Deputy District Attorney Matthew Bradbury has now filed a motion arguing Phan West misused her official position and failed to complete either requirement, and the DA's office has formally asked the judge to revoke the diversion deal and send the case to trial.
DA Points to Congressional Campaign as Evidence of Bad Faith
Bradbury's motion doesn't stop at the missed conditions. It also points to Phan West's conduct during her 2026 run for California's 45th Congressional District as evidence she isn't taking the court process seriously. Per the court filing, she used her Westminster council office in May for a media interview about her congressional campaign, and she handed out flyers for that same race at Westminster's annual Tet parade in February.
That campaign ended without a runoff spot. Phan West finished sixth in a six-candidate field in the June primary with 7,526 votes, or 4.7%, failing to advance to the general election, according to election data reported by NPR. Bradbury said her actions warrant no leniency, arguing they undermine public faith in the justice system, per the court filing cited by LAist.
Phan West Compared Her Case to Trump's Legal Troubles
According to the court filing, Phan West compared her legal problems to President Donald J. Trump's and, at a candidate forum, called the case a “jungle-like court.” She has also accused her city council opponents of violating her free-speech rights and waging a personal vendetta against her, and she has denied wrongdoing in past statements. Despite the pending case, she has filed papers to run for reelection to the Westminster City Council later this year.
The diversion fight is unfolding alongside a separate, ongoing legal battle between Phan West and the city she serves. Westminster sued Phan West and fellow councilmember NamQuan Nguyen in November 2024, alleging their disruptive meeting tactics created a “dysfunctional and raucous” atmosphere that paralyzed municipal business, according to LAist's earlier reporting on that lawsuit. Orange County Superior Court Judge Gassia Apkarian denied Phan West's motion to throw out that lawsuit in July 2025, rejecting her argument that her council-meeting behavior was constitutionally protected free speech, per Voice of OC.
A Pattern of Council Sanctions Predates the Criminal Case
The city council had already censured Phan West in August 2024, citing 30 separate violations of Westminster's code of ethics and conduct, including disruptive behavior, berating residents, lying, and disparaging city staff, according to the Orange County Tribune. The council also alleged she improperly disclosed confidential information and lied. Following the censure, the council voted 3-2 to strip her of all regional and municipal committee assignments, removing her from bodies including the Orange County Council of Governments, the Southern California Association of Governments, and the West Orange County Water Board.
Community opposition to leniency for Phan West has also surfaced in writing. In July 2025, a group of 75 Westminster residents submitted a formal letter to the Superior Court opposing her entry into the diversion program, arguing that granting diversion to an elected official accused of misusing public power sets a dangerous precedent for civic integrity, the Los Angeles Times reported. Phan West was first elected to the council's District 1 seat in November 2022 by a margin of just 21 votes.
The August 11 hearing at Orange County Superior Court in Westminster will determine whether Phan West complied with her diversion program. If the judge sides with prosecutors, the case would head to trial rather than the dismissal she would have received by completing the program's conditions.
