Councilman Questions Assembly Candidate’s Residence

Monterey Park City Councilman Mitchell Ing accused Edwin P. Chau, candidate for the 49th assembly district that includes San Marino, of having a primary address outside the 49th district at a Monterey Park City Council meeting Wednesday night.

At the meeting, Ing referenced a recent article in Eastern Group Publications News that said Chau was a Montebello resident. Ing said that Chau’s Montebello residence is outside the lines and that has been confirmed by several sources, which Ing did not specify.

Ing’s comments begin at around the one-hour, 23 minute mark in the video of Wednesday’s Monterey Park City Council meeting found here.

“I heard about that; I was not part of the city council meeting nor did I see any part of the recording of the city council meeting, and my response is my wife and I do live in the 49th assembly district and, unfortunately, Mr. Ing did not do his homework before making the allegations in a public forum,” Chau told Patch Thursday.

Ing has been rumored to be a possible 49th assembly district candidate, according to various news publications such as Alhambra Source.

“Where is the ethical standards we have in this community where wrong becomes right and right becomes wrong?” said Ing at the meeting.

Ing questioned where Chau is living in response to Chau’s claim through a Fair Political Practice Commission (FPCC) filing that he has an apartment in Monterey Park.

“Haven’t we heard that story before?” said Ing, who referenced former commissioner candidate Steven Sham, who Ing said lived in San Marino but claimed to be renting a place in Monterey Park.

Chau told Patch he currently resides in Monterey Park in the newly drawn 49th district but lived at a Montebello property in the 58th district—slightly outside the 49th district—for the last 10 years or so.

Chau provided the exact Monterey Park and Montebello addresses to Patch, but Patch is choosing not to publish them at this time. See a map of Chau’s residences pinpointed in and out of the new 49th assembly district attached to this article.

“If you count up the years, I’ve served the people in the 49th district for nearly two decades," said Chau.

Chau waivered between whether or not his residence outside the district was technically sold.

“The property we have in Montebello hasn’t sold; it’s in escrow right now,” said Chau, who has been endorsed by and (Eng’s wife). “We sold that property, so maybe that’s what Mr. Ing was referring to.”

When Patch asked Chau if he moved to his Monterey Park 49th district address for candidacy purposes, Chau said, “Yes and no. Monterey Park is closer to work, first of all,” referring to his law offices in South Pasadena.

Patch is continuing to look into this story and will update it accordingly.