Topline:
A man accused of scheming with former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do now is suing the embattled supervisor for $50 million, accusing him of taking advantage of their friendship to set up the scam.
Why now: Peter Pham, the founder and president of the nonprofit at the heart of the scandal, Viet America Society, alleged in court documents that Do took advantage of their “friendship relationship and at many occasions, requested personal loans from Peter Pham, which he obtained.”
Why it matters: The claim, known as a cross-complaint, was filed within the county’s ongoing lawsuit against Aloha Financial Investment and Viet America Society, referred to as VAS.
The backstory: Pham faces charges that he bribed an elected Orange County supervisor and "pocketed" most of the $12 million in pandemic relief money gained under the contract.
Read on ... for more of what's alleged in the latest claim.
A man accused of scheming with former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do now is suing the embattled supervisor for $50 million, accusing him of taking advantage of their friendship to set up the scheme.
That scheme, prosecutors say, saw millions in taxpayer dollars diverted from feeding needy seniors during the pandemic.
Do currently is serving five years in prison after pleading guilty to a federal charge for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from COVID relief funds. But Peter Pham — the founder and president of the nonprofit at the heart of the scandal, Viet America Society, which was used to funnel the relief money — alleged in court documents that those payments to Do weren't bribes. Instead, he claims they actually were loans from Viet America Society that Do never paid back.
The claim, known as a cross-complaint, was filed within the county’s ongoing lawsuit against Aloha Financial Investment and Viet America Society, referred to as VAS.
He also alleges that Do exploited their friendship and asked Pham to create the nonprofit to direct the county funds meant to feed needy seniors.
The VAS contracts, Pham alleges, were “prepared and signed under the direction of Andrew Do. Peter Pham did not see, nor presented and nor did he understood any terms and conditions of these contracts.”
Pham’s complaint also alleges that Do took advantage of his limited legal knowledge and understanding of the English language.
Pham also claims Do ruined his life and business reputation as part of his plea deal with prosecutors.
Do’s attorney, Paul Meyer, declined to comment.
What we know about Peter Pham
Pham faces federal charges that he bribed an elected Orange County supervisor and "pocketed" most of the $12 million in pandemic relief money gained under the contract steered by Do.
Authorities described Pham, a 65-year-old Garden Grove resident, as a "fugitive from justice."
Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office, told LAist in June that Pham left the U.S. on a one-way ticket to Taipei, Taiwan, in December 2024. McEvoy said he had no knowledge of Pham leaving the island nation since departing the U.S.
Pham now alleges he was following legal advice from a lawyer assigned to him by Do.
Pham is not the first person to turn on Do
The company accused of laundering millions of dollars in the corruption scheme, Aloha Financial Investment, also sued Do and his daughter, Rhiannon Do, for $15 million in July. The complaint alleges Do falsely accused the company of bribery in his plea agreement, damaging their reputation and finances.
Aloha and its president, Thu Thao Thi Vu, claim in the filing that the $381,000 it paid to the former supervisor and his daughter was a loan, not a bribe, to help purchase a Tustin home for the aspiring attorney.
Aloha also claims it issued the $381,050 loan “under pressure” from VAS — and had no idea of the scheme behind it. Had Aloha and Vu known the funds would be seen as a bribe, they “would not have disbursed the funds,” the claim states.
