Orange County Supervisors Censure Andrew Do Amid Federal Investigation

Orange County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Andrew Do speaks during a board meeting in Santa Ana, Calif., on June 6, 2023. Screenshot via Orange County Board of Supervisors

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Sept. 24 to censure Supervisor Andrew Do, condemning his alleged role in allocating millions of dollars to a nonprofit connected to his daughter.

In a lawsuit filed on Aug. 15, Orange County officials alleged that four executives at the Viet America Society (VAS)—including Do’s 22-year-old daughter, Rhiannon Do—misappropriated $10.6 million intended to feed the elderly, to purchase homes for themselves.

Although Do was not named in the lawsuit, he has been at the center of the issue due to his role in directing millions of dollars to the Viet America Society and another nonprofit, Hand to Hand Relief Organization, Inc., for meal programs during the pandemic.

The funds were part of federal COVID-19 relief money provided by the federal government’s American Rescue Plan of 2021.

Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who introduced the resolution, said that while the action is largely symbolic, it allows the board to publicly condemn Do’s alleged misuse of public funds and “acts of nepotism.”

“We can’t force him to step down, but we can publicly condemn the conduct that we see swirling around his office that makes it extremely difficult for him to carry out his responsibilities,” Sarmiento said during the meeting, referring to Do’s absences from recent board meetings, including Tuesday’s.

O.C. Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento speaks in front of a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey CDC site at the Orange County fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Feb. 3, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Earlier this month, the board stripped Do of all his board and committee assignments. Last month, the homes of Do and plaintiffs listed in the suit were raided by the FBI as part of a search warrant.

Sarmiento said that the scandal has damaged the county’s reputation with federal and state governments, which fund many of the programs the county offers.

Supervisor Katrina Foley, who first called for Do’s resignation in late August, said in a statement released on the day of the meeting she is also urging the state attorney general to remove him from office if he refuses to step down.

“This censure is not only warranted, but also not far enough given the stain Supervisor Do leaves on his legacy at the county through this criminal minded operation allegedly dating back years,” Foley said.

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley speaks on the opening day of a coronavirus vaccination site at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, Calif., on March 31, 2021. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Orange County Supervisor Doug Chaffee attends a board meeting in Santa Ana, Calif., on Sept. 29, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Board Vice Chairman Doug Chaffee told The Epoch Times that the censure addresses the public’s concerns.

“My support for this resolution comes from the understanding that it is symbolic in nature and is not a substitute for any formal legal processes that may take place,” Chaffee said in an email statement. “This serves as a reaffirmation of our commitment to transparency, accountability, and good governance.”

Chaffee also acknowledged Do’s contributions to the board, describing him as a “brilliant man.”

Board Chairman Don Wagner did not address the resolution during the meeting and was unavailable for comment by publication time.

Do did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. He will be termed out of office at the end of the year.

According to the lawsuit, the county is demanding that VAS return all funds received unless it can demonstrate the money was used appropriately. The county has also filed claims under the False Claims Act, which could require the group to pay three times the amount as a penalty.

The nonprofit has denied any misuse of funds.

“The demand that VAS reimburse the county for every single cent paid to it is ill-advised and overreaching, and, frankly, outrageous,” Mark Rosen, an attorney for VAS, said in an Aug. 12 letter he submitted on behalf of the nonprofit.

“None of the contractual provisions cited by you allow the county to demand a rescission or to receive a complete refund where the contractor has provided services.”

Rosen added that there are incorrect accusations in the lawsuit.

The suit alleges that Peter Pham, the nonprofit’s CEO, purchased a house in Buena Park with his wife in May 2023. Rosen said that his client is not married and does not know the “wife” mentioned in the lawsuit.

“Peter Pham ... has never bought a house in Buena Park. So they must have looked up every Peter Pham in Orange County, and whatever that Peter Pham bought, that’s what they said my Peter Pham bought,” Rosen told The Epoch Times in an interview in August.

Viet America Society's office at 8907 Warner Ave. in Huntington Beach, Calif. Google Earth/Screenshot via The Epoch Times

In previous letters obtained by The Epoch Times, the county noted several instances when the group’s use of funds prompted scrutiny. One example involved a $20,000 donation to another organization under a subcontractor agreement that the county said lacked proper documentation.

Additionally, the group initially reported delivering 20,000 meals per month and later revised that figure to 10,000 without documenting participants or dropouts, according to the letter.

Rosen said that recordkeeping was challenging during the pandemic due to limited physical contact, which resulted in incomplete records of the services provided.

“At the beginning, they weren’t able to keep as good records as they keep now, because it was during COVID, and they had drivers who delivered the meals ... [and] couldn’t go knocking on doors to get signatures, because everybody was afraid of COVID,” he said in the interview.

“We forget today how frightening that was in 2020.”