Orange County supervisors on Tuesday voted 4-0 to censure their fellow board member Andrew Do amid serious questions over what happened to millions in taxpayer funds directed by Do to a little-known nonprofit.
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who brought the resolution forward, said it was "intended to demonstrate our collective condemnation of misconduct demonstrated by Supervisor Do."
"And even under the best light, there are undisputed acts of nepotism, reckless disregard of public funds by a fiduciary and an abrogation of responsibilities by a sitting supervisor," he said.
For a third time in a row, Supervisor Do was not at the board meeting Tuesday.
Supervisor Katrina Foley said at the meeting that not only was the censure warranted, "it's not far enough, given the stain that Supervisor Do has left on his legacy for the County of Orange."
"Supervisor Andrew Do brazenly exploited his position of power to enrich his family and friends under the guise of feeding the elderly, caring for veterans, hosting cultural events, and the list goes on and on," she said. "This criminal minded operation dates back many years."
The supervisors also approved transparency reforms, as well as updates to the current contract policy manual, in response to the Do allegations.
In November 2023, LAist began investigating how millions in public taxpayer dollars were spent. In total, LAist has uncovered public records showing more than $13 million in public money that was approved to Viet America Society (VAS), which records state was led on and off by Rhiannon Do, the now 23-year-old daughter of Supervisor Do. Most of that money was directed to the group by Supervisor Do outside of the public’s view and never appeared on public meeting agendas. He did not publicly disclose his family ties. Much of the known funding came from federal coronavirus relief money.
The censure motion on Tuesday stated that the Board of Supervisors “strongly and publicly” condemn Do for “the reckless judgment and favoritism he has demonstrated in directing millions of dollars” in federal coronavirus dollars and discretionary funds to the nonprofit groups — “organizations with no proven track record” — while not disclosing his familial ties.
Sarmiento, who introduced the item, told LAist before the vote that the formal rebuke allows the supervisors “an opportunity to publicly condemn the actions that we know make it difficult for Supervisor Do to carry out his responsibilities and serve his constituents.”
The supervisors also approved the following measures in an effort to increase transparency:
- A review of all county contracts, including those funded by federal COVID dollars
- A new disclosure policy when it comes to family ties to entities awarded public funds
The internal auditor has 90 days to bring a review of all county contracts to the board. The review is to "ensure all oversight measures are in place for contracts, large and small, and that there is compliance," Foley said.
The updates to the manual will bring the county in line with AB 3130, a new bill signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom that will require county supervisors across the state to disclose any family ties they have to a nonprofit’s employees or officers before awarding any contracts. The new law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025, and was inspired by LAist reporting.
"These corrective measures are so important because we are that last line of making sure that monies are expended thoughtfully," Sarmiento said.
The supervisors also unanimously approved disclosing whether a nonprofit has filed its 990 with the IRS and if they have performed an audit on agenda staff reports for additional oversight into the nonprofits the county is contracting with.
How we got here
LAist has uncovered more than $13 million in public funds directed by Supervisor Do to Viet America Society. Most of that money came from federal COVID relief funds earmarked to help people during the pandemic. County officials filed a lawsuit against VAS and its leaders, including Rhiannon Do, Supervisor Do’s daughter, alleging they “brazenly plundered” funds Supervisor Do directed to the nonprofit. Supervisor Do is not named as a defendant in the county lawsuit.
In August, LAist broke the news that federal agents searched Rhiannon Do's home in Tustin. Later that day, Supervisor Do's home, and other properties connected to VAS, were also raided.
Supervisor Do has declined to comment dozens of times since LAist first began reporting on the money he directed to Viet America Society.
Attorneys Paul Meyer and Craig Wilke, who represented former Anaheim Mayor Sidhu on federal corruption charges, are now representing Do. They have previously said in a written statement that their client “looks forward to a thorough and fair investigation.”
“Out of respect for the process, there is no further statement that can be made at this time,” they added. “We ask that judgment be reserved by all pending the completion of the investigation.”
The moves on Tuesday came after the supervisors voted earlier this month to remove Supervisor Do from his committee assignments, including his position on the Orange County Transportation Authority Board of Directors.
His board colleagues Katrina Foley and Vicente Sarmiento have also called on him to resign. They have also asked California Attorney General Rob Bonta to intervene and remove him from office.
Catch up on the investigation
In November 2023, LAist began investigating how millions in public taxpayer dollars were spent. In total, LAist has uncovered public records showing more than $13 million in public money that was approved to a little-known nonprofit that records state was led on and off by Rhiannon Do, the now 23-year-old daughter of Supervisor Do. Most of that money was directed to the group by Supervisor Do outside of the public’s view and never appeared on public meeting agendas. He did not publicly disclose his family ties.
Much of the known funding came from federal coronavirus relief money.
- Read the story that launched the investigation here.
- Since LAist started reporting, we’ve also uncovered the group was two years overdue in completing a required audit into whether the meal funds were spent appropriately.
- And LAist found the amount of taxpayer money directed to the nonprofit was much larger than initially known. It totals at least $13.5 million in county funding — tallied from government records obtained and published by LAist.
- After our reporting, O.C. officials wrote demand letters to the nonprofit saying millions in funding were unaccounted for. They warned the nonprofit that it could be forced to repay the funds.
- And, LAist found the nonprofit missed a deadline set by county officials to provide proof about how funding for meals were spent.
- On Aug. 2, LAist reported O.C. officials were demanding the refund of more than $3 million in public funds awarded by Do to VAS and another nonprofit, Hand to Hand.
- Six days later, LAist reported Orange County officials had expanded demands for refunds of millions in tax dollars from the nonprofits and threatened legal action.
- On Aug. 15, LAist reported O.C. officials sued VAS and its key officers and associated businesses, including Rhiannon Do. The lawsuit alleges that county money was illegally used to purchase five homes and was converted into cash through ATM transactions.
- Then, on Aug. 19, LAist reported O.C. officials had announced a second lawsuit against Hand to Hand and its CEO to recover millions of taxpayer dollars that were directed by Supervisor Do.
- LAist broke the news on Aug. 22 that federal agents were searching Rhiannon Do's home in Tustin. Later that day, Supervisor Do's home, and other properties, were also raided.
How to watchdog local government
One of the best things you can do to hold officials accountable is pay attention.
Your city council, board of supervisors, school board and more all hold public meetings that anybody can attend. These are times you can talk to your elected officials directly and hear about the policies they’re voting on that affect your community.
- Read tips on how to get involved.
- The next scheduled board meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 8. You can check out the O.C. Board of Supervisors full calendar here.
- Learn how to submit a public comment to the O.C. Board of Supervisors.
