Former Irvine Vice Mayor Tammy Kim is facing serious legal troubles that could land her in prison for over a decade. Just months after expressing her desire to return to the City Council, she has been charged with multiple felonies related to her residency claims while serving on the council and during her recent campaign for mayor.
The Orange County District Attorney’s office announced on Thursday that Kim is charged with ten felonies. These include three counts of perjury, three counts of filing false documents, and various other charges related to voter registration and election fraud. If convicted, she could face up to 11 years and two months in prison.
Kim is scheduled for arraignment on Friday morning. In a brief statement, she indicated that her legal team plans to enter a not guilty plea. Her attorney, Caroline Hahn, mentioned that they are preparing a strong defense but did not provide further details.
The allegations against Kim stem from her use of two fraudulent addresses while campaigning for mayor in November 2024 and during a City Council special election in early 2025. According to the criminal complaint, she had a condo in Irvine’s 3rd District, where she had lived since 2015. However, to run for mayor, Kim changed her voter registration and driver’s license to an address in the 5th District, where she reportedly never lived.
This address belonged to a family she met through a Korean teaching class, and she did not inform them that she was using their home as her own. Kim is accused of certifying this address under penalty of perjury, which is a serious offense.
In November 2020, Kim was elected to the Irvine City Council, winning nearly 44,000 votes in a competitive race. At that time, city elections allowed candidates to live anywhere in Irvine. However, the city switched to district elections in fall 2024, requiring council members to reside in the districts they represent.
After losing her mayoral bid to Councilmember Larry Agran by a margin of nearly 5,000 votes, Kim declared her candidacy for the now-vacant 5th District seat. She reportedly found a room in another 5th District home on January 10, 2025, and changed her driver’s registration to this new address the same day.
However, questions about her residency arose when former mayoral candidate Ron Scolesdang filed a lawsuit against her, claiming she was using an incorrect address. Following this, Kim dropped out of the race on February 7, 2025, the same day a judge removed her from the ballot.
The outcome of Kim’s legal battles remains uncertain, but the situation has raised questions about electoral integrity and accountability in local government. As her case unfolds, it will be closely watched by the community and beyond.