Topline:
The Orange County Board of Supervisors could decide at its meeting this week between several firms bidding to carry out a forensic audit of county contracts under former Supervisor Andrew Do’s tenure.
Quick catchup: Do is currently serving a five-year sentence in federal prison for accepting kickbacks in exchange for directing lucrative county contracts to a nonprofit associated with his adult daughter, Rhiannon Do. LAist first exposed the corruption, which Do publicly denied up until his indictment.
Backstory on the audit: Last December, after Do pleaded guilty to a felony bribery charge, the Board of Supervisors voted to hire an external firm to carry out a forensic audit of county contracts approved during Do’s tenure. Ultimately, officials identified more than 1,000 contracts to be included in the audit, and they sent out a request for proposals in June.
What’s in the proposal: The supervisors are set to decide between three firms, at a cost of about $500,000 up to $2 million. Officials are recommending the least expensive option. But it likely won’t be quick — the recommended firm, Baker Tilly, is estimating the audit will take about 20 months to complete.
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 regular meeting of the board is Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 9:30 a.m. 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.