City Will Pay Costs of Councilman’s Defense in Lawsuit

The City Council has agreed to pay for the legal defense of Councilman Tony Lam in a defamation lawsuit stemming from a February arson fire at his Little Saigon restaurant.

The Vietnamese Community of Southern California has filed the lawsuit against Lam, accusing him of blaming the prominent group for causing the small blaze at the restaurant.

The fire was set amid controversy involving rival Tet festivals in celebration of the Lunar new year, in late February. Lam was a chief organizer of a Westminster festival, while the Vietnamese Community of Southern California organized a celebration in Garden Grove.

Lam said that although he believes the group’s competitive rhetoric might have incited some residents toward violence, he never said the group was responsible for the fire at his Viet Dong restaurant in Garden Grove on Feb. 13.

Westminster Mayor Charles V. Smith said the council’s decision to pay Lam’s legal fees was “entirely appropriate. As co-chair of the Tet organizing committee, [Lam] was acting at all times in his official capacity.”

With a vote Tuesday the council agreed to pay Lam’s costs, but did not set a monetary figure for what the city will spend, Smith said. City Atty. Richard D. Jones is handling the case, but the city may decide later to hire another attorney, Smith said.

Lam said he is confident he will prevail in the lawsuit.

“I really appreciate the support of the council members,” he said. “They know I’ve done nothing wrong.”

The fire is still under investigation, city officials said.