By Brooklynn Wong
Despite the controversy that has reared its head a couple of times in the early months of Sunny Park’s tenure on City Council and during her campaign, some of her constituents are vocally coming to her defense.
While campaigning last fall, Park was arrested for removing signs from around the city that called her a “carpetbagger.” She said there was no indication on the signs as to who had paid for them, and wanted to report this to the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), thinking the signs were in violation of regulations.
However she was arrested by the Buena Park Police Department for theft of the signs, and still faces misdemeanor petty theft charges and could face jail time. And the FPPC has said that it is not a legal requirement that campaign signs identify who paid for them. The logistics of the case are still being worked out.
On Election Day, Park beat out incumbent Virginia Vaughn very narrowly, and for now, Park continues serving in her City Council position uninterrupted.
But after further recent developments have come out, saying that Park hired day laborers from a Home Depot parking lot, paying them $100 each, to help her remove the campaign signs, some have been motivated to explore recalling her.
These individuals have also questioned her financial past and have grown suspicious based on the fact that parties in Los Angeles County funded much of her campaign.
But Park has a very strong base in Buena Park’s large Korean demographic, and two residents from her district came to this Tuesday’s City Council Meeting to express solidarity with her.
They both were residents from the same complex, and said they have had security issues there, and Park has been very responsive. They expressed support for her, saying she has been open, intelligent and impressive and that they do not support recalling her.
