The Orange County (OC) Board of Supervisors removed Supervisor Andrew Do from all board and committee assignments on Sept. 10.
The board’s decision followed a lawsuit filed by OC officials and raids by the FBI which included properties owned by Do and his daughter Rhiannon Do, along with properties of Andrew Do’s nonprofit Viet America Society (VAS). The raids are part of an investigation of alleged embezzlement fraud associated with millions of taxpayer dollars.
OC officials filed a lawsuit on Aug. 15 alleging that nonprofit VAS executives, including Andrew Do and Rhiannon Do, kept over $10 million meant to feed the elderly and needy during the pandemic and spent it for their personal use. VAS refused OC’s request for a payment of $2.2 million in contract payments after failing to show proof of financial statements.
“Supervisor Do betrayed the people of Orange County, cannot represent our county regionally, and should resign immediately,” OC Supervisor Katrina Foley posted on X after the decision.
VAS — founded in June 2020 — aimed to promote and provide Vietnamese culture to youth and provide mental health and meals for the elderly and disabled.
The lawsuit seeks to recover misused taxpayer funds amounting to millions of dollars that were meant to provide elderly and disabled OC residents with nutritional meals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“VAS cannot account for where the money went, when and where it was spent, and/or whether it was spent on contract purposes,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants engaged in pervasive self-dealing, pocketing local and federal funds.”
“VAS provided all the goods and services, but did not, in the beginning, keep great records,” VAS Attorney Mark S. Rosen said in a statement to the LA Times.
Authorities obtained warrants for the nonprofit’s offices and were praised by neighboring city officials.
“Taxpayers demand accountability. Supervisor Do funneled millions in federal COVID-19 relief to an organization co-founded by his daughter, raising serious ethical concerns,” Buena Park City Council Member Connor Traut stated on X. “While the legal process unfolds — including a civil suit and raids by the FBI — the breach of public trust is undeniable.”
Nonprofits have also pushed for Do to resign. Harbor Institute and VietRise, nonprofits based on economic and social justice, released a joint statement regarding his resignation and urged the district attorney to further investigate the embezzlement of millions of taxpayer dollars.
“Residents continue to face skyrocketing rents, evictions, and homelessness, yet Supervisor Do used his position to divert taxpayer dollars towards million-dollar properties for his own family and friends,” the statement reads. “Supervisor Do has failed the residents of his own District, including the working-class immigrants and refugees of Little Saigon.”
Do has not been removed from his elected seat, as the board of supervisors does not hold the authority to do so. Calls for his resignation have increased with the Huntington Beach City Council being the first city in OC to cast a vote for Do to resign.
“By taking a public stand against corruption, we send a clear message that Huntington Beach will not tolerate breaches of public trust,” Councilmember Natalie Moser said at a council meeting. “Our community deserves better, and it’s our duty to fight for that standard.”
The OC Board of Supervisors look to censure Do at the next council meeting on Sept. 24. Do was previously ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
Malaika Sultan is a News Intern for the summer 2024 quarter. She can be reached at malaiks1@uci.edu.
