Former Irvine Vice Mayor Tammy Kim, who once had dreams of reclaiming her seat on the City Council, is now facing a legal battle that could land her in the slammer for quite some time. The Orange County district attorney’s office dropped a bombshell on Thursday, charging Kim with a whopping 10 felonies related to allegedly fibbing about where she lived while serving on the City Council and during her run for mayor last autumn.
The laundry list of charges against Kim includes three counts of perjury by declaration, three counts of filing false documents, and one count each of a public official aiding illegal voting, filing false nomination papers, knowing about someone ineligible to vote, and voter registration fraud. On top of all that, she’s also looking at a misdemeanor charge for making false statements. If convicted on all counts, Kim could be looking at over a decade behind bars, split between state prison and county jail. Yikes.
It’s a messy situation, to say the least. Kim is accused of using not one, but two bogus addresses while throwing her hat in the ring for the mayor’s race in November 2024 and a City Council special election in early 2025. The criminal complaint alleges that she claimed residency at a home in the 5th District, where she never actually lived, after owning a condo in the city’s 3rd District for quite some time. It’s a case of he-said-she-said, with the district attorney’s office firmly believing that Kim played fast and loose with the rules to further her political ambitions. Let’s see how this all pans out in the courtroom, shall we?
Despite the serious nature of the charges against her, Kim seems to be putting on a brave face. When reached for comment by The Times, she kept it short and sweet, revealing that she plans to plead not guilty. Her attorney, Caroline Hahn, chimed in, mentioning that they’re gearing up for a fierce defense. It’s like a real-life legal drama unfolding before our eyes. Who knew local politics could get this juicy? Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.
