Kim Aide’s Felony Conviction Changed to Misdemeanor

In the interest of fairness, the government agreed Monday to dismiss a jury’s felony conviction of U.S. Rep. Jay C. Kim’s campaign treasurer, allowing him instead to plead guilty to misdemeanor violations of federal election law.

Chief Assistant U.S. Atty. Richard Drooyan said the unusual action was prompted by a recent government agreement that permitted Kim and his wife, June, to plead guilty to misdemeanors for essentially the same crimes.

Former campaign treasurer Seokuk Ma, 51, expressed relief after entering his plea Monday before U.S. District Court Judge Manuel Real. Ma was convicted by a federal court jury in April of accepting and hiding illegal corporate and cash contributions solicited on behalf of Kim, a third-term Republican from Diamond Bar.

During his trial, Ma did not dispute the basic facts in the case, but testified that he acted either in ignorance of election laws or out of loyalty to the Kims. He said he took orders from June Kim.

In July, while Ma was awaiting sentencing on three felony and one misdemeanor counts, the U.S. attorney’s office reached a controversial plea agreement with Kim and his wife, who had been the main targets of a four-year FBI investigation of campaign finance fraud.

Instead of charging the Kims with felonies, prosecutors leveled misdemeanor complaints against them individually and felony charges against the Jay Kim for Congress Committee. The arrangement was approved after an intense internal debate that ranged from the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles to the Justice Department in Washington.

Kim, who says he plans to run for a fourth term despite his guilty plea, is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 23, along with his wife. Under terms of their plea agreement, the government will recommend no more than six months imprisonment for each of them.

Ma, who owns an electronics business, is to be sentenced by Real on Nov. 10. Drooyan told reporters that under federal sentencing guidelines, the downgrading of charges will have little impact on Ma’s sentencing, which could range from no jail time to 10 months behind bars.