Embattled Temple City Councilwoman Judy Wong Resigns
By Terry Miller
Published: Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Judy Wong appears in a Los Angeles courtroom last year - Photo by Terry Miller
Embattled Temple City Councilwoman Judy Wong Resigns
Amid mounting pressure from constituents and colleagues, Temple City councilwoman Judy Wong, indicted on bribery and perjury charges, resigned from council Tuesday evening.
Wong announced her resignation, effective immediately, at the end of Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Many people have spoken publically about Wong representing the city during the criminal proceedings. In fact, one impassioned resident, Jeff Briggs, ended up in hospital in an induced coma after he collapsed demanding Wong step down.
In June, a county grand jury indicted Wong on 10 felony charges, including bribery and perjury, stemming from accusations she accepted bribes in return for support of developer Randy Wang’s $75 million Temple City Piazza mall project. She faces a maximum sentence of 10 years, four months in prison if convicted.
“As the court case has progressed, it has become increasingly difficult for me to juggle my responsibilities as a city councilmember and at the same time to assist in the preparation of my trial defense,” Wong wrote in a resignation letter submitted Tuesday. “Moreover, in recent months my legal situation has spilled over into council business. City business is too important to allow my pending legal matter to interrupt city council proceedings.”
Wong and former mayor Cathe Wilson, who is accused of accepting bribes from developer Wang and lying about it, have a court hearing scheduled for Friday in downtown Los Angeles.
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