The Brief

Orange County’s elected treasurer was found to have thrown office keys at a subordinate out of anger, according to an investigation county officials commissioned and funded. The report, from 2022, was obtained by LAist through a records request. Its findings were not known to county supervisors until recently.

A secretary who witnessed the incident quit her job the same day as a result, according to the report, which found the September 2021 incident was a likely violation of workplace violence policies.

It’s one of numerous complaints of mismanagement against O.C. Treasurer-Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich, including employee allegations documented by investigators that she’s been an “extreme micro-manager,” and allegations from the county chief executive that she has been late in pursuing $36 million in property taxes owed to the county.

O.C. supervisors now say these findings and other concerns were behind their unusual decision late last year to yank Friedenrich’s authority to oversee the investment of $17 billion in taxpayer dollars. Until recent days, they weren’t telling the public why Friedenrich — who was first elected in 2010 and has run unopposed since — had lost that authority.

Board members addressed the situation at this week’s regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday and released a “fact sheet” from the county CEO’s office detailing allegations. That includes investigators’ findings that Friedenrich ran a department with a “highly charged atmosphere of mistrust, suspicion and the belief that Freidenrich has engaged in demeaning, condescending and unfair behavior.”

How we got here

LAist reached out to all five supervisors for comment after receiving public records documenting the investigation, an employee survey critical of her leadership and complaints in a resignation letter by a high-ranking executive under her. Supervisor Janet Nguyen did not respond before publication.

Supervisors Katrina Foley and Vicente Sarmiento told LAist that the board pulled back Freidenrich’s authority to invest after a meeting last fall where Foley and Supervisor Don Wagner heard directly from department employees alleging that Freidenrich created a hostile work environment for her department’s staff.

“ The level of toxicity that the employees uniformly shared was alerting,” Foley said of concerns she says she heard directly from employees.

That fall 2024 meeting was the first time Foley learned of the key-throwing incident, she told LAist.

During that meeting, Foley said, the employees also told her Freidenrich’s behavior was causing widespread problems, including delays in cashing checks, a lack of training for new employees and delays in collecting $36 million owed to the county in unpaid property taxes. The alleged collection delays were in filing liens that pressure owners to pay overdue taxes, and in auctioning off properties with long-overdue tax bills.

Additionally, Foley said Freidenrich missed an important deadline to list county assets, a failure she said caused the auditor-controller to be late on the county’s comprehensive annual financial report — one of the county’s most important financial filings. These delays, Foley said, were of concern because they put at risk the county's credit rating and had the potential to delay state and federal funding if the CEO and CFO had not intervened to get the report done.

The list of allegations against Freidenrich were shared in a document prepared by the office of Michelle Aguirre, the county’s chief executive. The document, which is labeled as a “fact sheet,” was distributed to the press by Foley this week.

In a statement to LAist on Wednesday, Freidenrich said, “These allegations claim to create a pretext for disrupting my honest, ethical and effective stewardship of $17 billion in public funds.”

The allegations and Freidenrich’s response

Regarding the alleged delays in filing liens to collect property tax, Freidenrich wrote to LAist that her office has the highest collection rate in the state for the largest type of property tax. She pointed to state data, which show Orange County ranks fourth among California's 58 counties in total property tax collections. She also said that it is not cost-effective to hold annual auctions of properties whose tax bills are years overdue, another issue raised in the county CEO’s allegations. The CEO’s document says Freidenrich hasn’t held an auction since 2021, causing the county to miss out on $4.4 million.

When LAist asked Freidenrich about the allegations of a hostile work environment, including the key-throwing incident, she said: “There has never been any findings of this type of environment related to my management by the County, who investigated some isolated incidents based on allegations several years ago.”

In a written statement to LAist, Freidenrich said the key-throwing incident was due to her being a “klutz.” She said she “tripped on the way to the door to give the staff the keys. The keys flew out of my hands.”

When Freidenrich spoke to investigators in spring 2022, she also told them she tripped and the keys fell out of her hand. The investigators did not find her account credible, stating in their report: “The evidence supports a finding that Freidenrich intentionally threw keys.”

Freidenrich also told LAist she has never previously heard a complaint of lack of staff training. Gaps in employee training were mentioned in a 2021 county performance audit of her department — a finding she provided a written response to at the time — as well as in a union summary of an employee survey it conducted later that year.

Asked for comment, the county CEO’s office said Freidenrich’s comments didn’t address the specific complaints LAist was reporting on.

“The Treasurer-Tax Collector’s responses appear to deflect rather than respond to the specific questions asked by the LAist,” said a statement Wednesday from the office.

“The CEO’s office has been working since 2017 to address long-standing and pervasive issues with the Treasurer-Tax Collector that has been thoroughly vetted in our eight-page fact sheet that we provided to the Board of Supervisors prior to yesterday’s Board meeting,” the statement read.

“Through the PRA process, media outlets have also received reports that further illustrate a long-standing pattern of dysfunction that have caused harm to the department and the employees who work there.”

Public comments from supervisors this week

Orange County Civic Center

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Yusra Farzan

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LAist

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County supervisors discussed concerns about Freidenrich at their regular board meeting on Tuesday in Santa Ana.

“ I do not ... relish bringing these items up in a public setting, which show the mismanagement and improper behavior of the Treasurer Tax Collector,” Doug Chaffee said. Chaffee declined to respond to LAist's separate requests for comment.

“But the board cannot simply sit idly by while a county elected department creates an environment which is ripe for fiscal mismanagement, plus the welfare and well-being of our county employees being put at risk.”

Supervisor Wagner, who also declined to respond to LAist, said at Tuesday's meeting that he and Foley first learned of the scale of alleged mismanagement when they met last fall with a dozen high-level employees who work for Freidenrich.

“They were telling us stories that were hair curling about that office. And that's what finally prompted us to act,” Wagner said, referring to the board’s decision to yank the investment authority from Freidenrich.

About the treasurer’s department

Freidenrich oversees a staff of dozens who collect about $9 billion each year in property taxes, according to state data. She also serves as the banker for public school and community college districts and the county government.

And until the end of last year, she oversaw the $17 billion investment pool for taxpayer funds held by the county, school districts and community college districts. That’s the only part of her job the supervisors can take away, because the rest of her duties are assigned to her under state law as an elected official, according to the county CEO’s office. She remains responsible for the duties assigned to her by law, including collecting taxes, a spokesperson for the CEO’s office said.

When she was elected in 2010, she jumped from managing fewer than 10 full-time staff as Huntington Beach’s elected treasurer to overseeing about 100 employees at the county in her first year, according to data published by the state.

A county spokesperson told LAist that a professional coach was hired to work with Freidenrich when the investigation report was completed in 2022. The county paid $2,200 for the coaching, she said, and also over recent years provided additional internal coaching by Colette Farnes, the county’s HR director, and Michelle Aguirre, the interim county CEO.

Details of the workplace violence investigation

The probe into Freidenrich’s department was conducted by a law firm the county hired following complaints from employees “of abusive conduct and retaliation” by Freidenrich. The report — dated April 29, 2022 — is marked “confidential.” LAist obtained it earlier this month from the CEO’s office through a public records request, citing court precedent requiring release of such investigation reports.

“The allegation that Freidenrich threw office keys at [employee name redacted], in violation of the County's Workplace Violence Prevention Policy, is SUBSTANTIATED,” states the report.

A temporary secretary quit the day of the incident because of Freidenrich’s actions, according to the report, citing testimony by Freidenrich and a witness.

Other employees corroborated the key-throwing incident, according to the report, and investigators did not find Freidenrich to be credible in claiming the keys accidentally flew out of her hands.

The investigation report also stated that among employees there is a belief that “Freidenrich has engaged in demeaning, condescending, and unfair behavior. Complainants contend that Freidenrich created this situation through conduct that is punitive, abusive, and belittling, and that Freidenrich excessively monitors and micromanages employees, thus resulting in a chilling effect on the entire workplace.”

The report states that the evidence supports many complaints from staff “regarding Freidenrich’s condescending behavior and occasionally demeaning conduct, as well as the excessive micromanaging.”

A few weeks after the investigation report, the county’s human resources director noted the findings in a “cease-and-desist” letter to Freidenrich.

“The independent investigator’s findings raise serious concerns about your treatment of Treasurer-Tax Collector employees,” wrote Farnes, the human resources director.

“Physical violence in a County workplace will not be tolerated,” Farnes added.

“As the County’s Chief Human Resources Officer, I am obligated to instruct you to cease and desist from any and all verbal or physical conduct that violates County policy,” she continued. “As an elected Department Head, it is your duty to provide a safe, healthy, and positive working environment for the County’s employees assigned to you.”

Freidenrich told LAist that she disagreed with the investigation’s findings “but accepted it, retained an executive coach and moved on.”

“Taxpayers expect me to do my official duties in a common-sense, efficient and cost-effective manner and to keep public funds safe …” she added, “from time to time, over the past 14 years, I have had to hold some [department staff members] accountable to ensure that the processes in the office are meeting the high standards expected by taxpayers.”

The records the county disclosed to LAist, which include the employee survey and performance audit, show numerous other allegations of mismanagement by Freidenrich in recent years. One is a resignation letter from early 2024 by a high-ranking executive. She alleged that Freidenrich caused high turnover in the department through a “dysfunctional organizational culture.”

The letter was written by Jennifer Burkhart, who resigned in January 2024. She wrote that Freidenrich’s “obsessive micromanagement, paranoia, dishonesty, and bullying” and “disregard for County employees” made for an unhealthy work environment. She added that these issues and Freidenrich’s “unrealistic expectations of perfection and continual criticism” contributed to high turnover within the department.

Concerns about high turnover were also separately highlighted by the county audit and employee survey.

The audit found that Freidenrich’s department had a “significantly higher” share of employees leave their jobs compared to other departments, resulting in a higher workload for remaining staff. About one-third of all staff left the department in 2019, the report found.

Later that year, an Orange County Employees Association survey of 30 employees found that Freidenrich was overly involved in low-level work processes and caused inefficiencies within the department, according to a report summarizing the responses. Employees surveyed by the union said processes and directions changed often. In the survey, employees used words like “Toxic,” “Unhealthy,” “Hostile” and “Fearful” to describe the department’s culture.

Why is the board taking more action now?

Despite the investigation report being provided to the county HR director in spring 2022, two county supervisors told LAist they only learned of it toward the end of 2024.

Sarmiento told LAist that employee concerns about a hostile work environment compelled him to “ reconsider” Freidenrich’s authority over the investment pool.

The board voted in late December to not renew Freidenrich’s investment authority starting in the new year. At that point, Sarmiento said he was aware of general information about challenges at the department — “ the turnover rates, some of the employee comments. But I didn't know with specificity what some of the specific incidents were.”

Since then, Sarmiento said, he has learned more details from the CEO’s office.

Foley said she and other supervisors learned of the mismanagement allegations against Freidenrich last fall at the same time they were learning of problems with former Supervisor Andrew Do’s handling of taxpayer dollars. Do pleaded guilty in October to a bribery scheme to steal millions of dollars meant to feed needy seniors, following an LAist investigation and federal probe.

“ One of the cultural shifts that's happening on the Board of Supervisors is to do away with what I think has been a historical failure to take into consideration employee complaints,” Foley said. “We are no longer allowing those complaints to just sit to the side and be ignored.”

The board, she said, will now take action on staff complaints so issues don’t fester and become a scandal.

“ It's a new board, a new CEO, new management,” she said when asked why it took so long for the board to be alerted. “All I can do is move forward.”

Even so, Foley said the Board of Supervisors is responsible for monitoring Freidenrich’s actions as a county official.

“ We have a legal duty to supervise the official conduct of all county officials, including the county treasurer,” she said. “And this is as it relates specifically to functions and duties of county officers relating to assessing, collecting, safekeeping, management, or disbursement of public funds.”

The shadow of a painful history

The board’s supervision of the treasurer position — or the lack thereof — has been the subject of controversy in the past.

In the 1990s, two of the then-supervisors were indicted by a grand jury for failing to properly safeguard public funds handled by former O.C. Treasurer Bob Citron. His high-risk investments lost $1.6 billion in O.C. taxpayer dollars and prompted the largest local government bankruptcy in U.S. history up to that point.

The county’s 1994 bankruptcy prompted slashes to programs for people in need, including canceling half of the county’s contracts with therapists serving thousands of families at risk of child abuse, the New York Times reported at the time.

An appeals court later dismissed the indictments against the supervisors, but the memory of the bankruptcy lives on.

“ We've seen — many, many years ago — predecessors of ours allow what turned out to be too much independence at the treasurer-tax collector role,” Wagner said during Tuesday’s board meeting.

“ We have suffered through some incredibly difficult and painful lessons when the Board of Supervisors does not act quickly and decisively  when exercising our authority as it relates to public finance,” Chaffee said.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is all about people with superpowers living in a world very much like our own.

And there’s a lot of real Los Angeles mixed into the recent MCU series “Wonder Man,” now on Disney+, which makes for a version of the MCU that feels a little more grounded in reality, especially for Angelenos.

It's an action-comedy about two struggling actors also dealing with superhuman forces and secret government agencies. Think The Studio meets Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Sir Ben Kingsley reprises his Iron Man 3 character Trevor Slattery, the messy British actor hired to play a bad guy called The Mandarin. And Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man.

Through their adventures trying to book the gig-of-a-lifetime while surviving the perils of the MCU, L.A. landmarks and cultural references abound, and ground the series in a relatability for many Angelenos, including lots of inside jokes for those working in the entertainment industry.

3 cultural references that make Wonder Man feel like real Los Angeles

Historic places, some we’ve had to part with

There’s a series of roughly 100-year-old small, independent movie houses used as locations in Wonder Man — the Eagle Theatre now home to Vidiots, Westwood's Village Theater now operated by American Cinematheque (with views of The Bruin Theater across the street), and the Highland Theatre which closed in 2024.

A scene from 'Wonder Man' on Disney +.

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Marvel Television

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Speaking of iconic L.A. spots breaking local hearts, the vintage bar within Echo Park’s Taix French Restaurant was used as an interior location for the series. Taix is closing at the end of the month to make way for new development.

“Taix, the Highland Park Theatre — these places that it was only three years ago were there,” Wonder Man showrunner Andrew Guest told LAist, “a lot of these establishments sadly, are not surviving. And this town is in a rough, rough place.”

(Though actor/director Kristen Stewart recently said in an interview with Architectural Digest that she bought The Highland Theatre and is restoring the building.)

L.A. traffic (especially around the Hollywood Bowl on a performance night)

Traffic is part of life in Los Angeles and with so many scenes shot in Hollywood, even the main characters of Wonder Man must experience that bumper-to-bumper frustration.

Though, because it is a TV show, they were able to indulge in the fantasy of beating that traffic in a way that in reality would be highly dangerous (and illegal).

“We got to shut down Sunset Boulevard for a little while to shoot a car going onto the sidewalk in front of the Palladium,” said Guest. And surprisingly, he explained, they didn’t have to shoot in the middle of the night to make the shot happen: “That was Friday night…. We didn't close all lanes of traffic. The street was open. We were shooting while Los Angeles was still going strong.”

The scene also references the frequent traffic back up during big shows at the Hollywood Bowl, even earning the show a social media repost of the scene from Chaka Khan.

Having family and friends 45 minutes away, who you rarely visit

Wonder Man includes an episode titled Pacoima where the main character visits his family and childhood home.

“My wife grew up in Chatsworth, and one of the things I found fascinating about her experience growing up there was that many of her friends and their families never went to Los Angeles,” said Guest.

“The idea that Simon grew up close to, but far enough away that Hollywood and Los Angeles did not feel like they were part of his life…so when he moved to the city, Pacoima is not a place he goes to a lot. And I feel like that's a part of L.A. that is true to this city. That doesn't get explored a lot and felt like it was another detail that we got to sort of throw into the show.”

There’s lots of other Southern California. references to enjoy from the Talmadge Apartments, an historic renaissance revival building on Wilshire Blvd., a mural of Danny Trejo, and even a cameo from Gisellle Fernandes, real-life L.A. broadcaster for Spectrum 1 News.

Should you get lost in the multi-verse, at least this L.A will be pretty familiar.

BONUS: Could there be a Season 2 of Wonder Man? And would it still be set in L.A.?

Guest couldn’t confirm anything about a possible Season 2, but told LAist, “It’s still on the table as an option, potentially."

As for whether a potential Season 2 would also film in Los Angeles and continue to highlight the city in new ways, Guest said it’s occurred to him that one of the best ways to write about Hollywood could be “ to send our show somewhere else because everybody in this town who's working has to move — whether it be Budapest or London or Ireland or Vancouver — very little is actually happening in this town. And that’s a story that I don’t think is being told right now about L.A.”

Season 1 of ‘Wonder Man’ is now streaming on Disney+.

It’s almost time for the Oscars, my favorite Sunday of the year. Whether you’re prepping for your watch party with Ham-net and cheese sandwiches, a Sinners-ful dessert display, Blue Moon pies or If I Had (Crab) Legs I’d Kick You, settle in for several hours of yelling at the screen and obsessing over dresses. If you’re not of the Oscars persuasion and are heading out to one of the many fun events on this list (or can score me an invite to the Vanity Fair party), be aware of street closures and diversions if you’re anywhere near Hollywood.

That’s doubly true if you’re catching any of the great music on tap this weekend. Our friends at Licorice Pizza suggest Miguel at the Forum, Black Label Society featuring Zakk Wyde at the YouTube Theater, Band of Skulls at the Teragram, the California Honeydrops at the Bellwether, Chicago indie rockers Whitney at the Lodge Room and Jon Brion going back to his roots at Largo — all on Friday. On Saturday, Indonesian rapper and singer Rich Brian is at the Palladium, London techno duo Bassvictim is at the Fonda (they’ll also be there Sunday) and ex-Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes plays the Troubadour (also playing on Sunday). Or, if you’re really in a truly madly deeply romantic mood, you can ride your pony over to the Peacock Theater for “The R&B Lovers Tour” with Ginuwine, Keith Sweat, Joe and Dru Hill.

Elsewhere on LAist, you can get composting tips from science reporter Jacob Margolis, learn about the potential fate of a Newport Beach sculpture park, and follow teens at East L.A.’s Garfield High as they head to the state Academic Decathlon.

Events

Brazilian Oscars Watch Party

Sunday, March 15, 3 p.m.
Dusty Vinyl
11326 W Pico Blvd., West L.A.
COST: $50; MORE INFO

Wagner Moura poses at the "The Secret Agent" green carpet during the 21st Zurich Film Festival.

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Andreas Rentz

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Getty Images

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There are many, many places to watch the Oscars with other movie fans this Sunday. But why not celebrate with the Brazilians and their nomination for (the excellent film) The Secret Agent? Dusty Vinyl is being turned into a 1977 secret-agent-themed hideout for the occasion, with a bespoke menu (food is included) and live music before the show starts; '70s costumes encouraged.

Honour

Through Sunday, March 22
Ruskin Group Theatre
2800 Airport Ave., Santa Monica 
COST: $45; MORE INFO 

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Courtesy The Ruskin Theatre

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Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives) is getting rave reviews for her performance in Honour, Joanna Murray-Smith’s examination of marriage and betrayal. Directed by Max Mayer, it’s the first show in the newly renovated Kaplan Stage at Ruskin Group Theatre, and Broadway World called it “a meaningful return to the material and a powerful way to inaugurate the Kaplan Stage.”

KCRW PieFest & Contest

Saturday, March 14, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Autry Museum
4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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Courtesy KCRW

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It’s 3.14, so that means it must be Pi Day. With it comes the annual Pie Contest from KCRW. I entered once, and while my apple-pomegranate pie was delish, it sadly did not win. Perhaps I will try again someday, but in the meantime, I can eat and admire everyone else’s creations at the Autry. There’s pie, of course, but there’s also baking demos, food trucks, music and more.

Los Angeles Vintage Paperback Show

Sunday, March 15, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Glendale Civic Auditorium
1401 Verdugo Road, Glendale
COST: $10; MORE INFO 

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Courtesy LA Vintage Paperback Show

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Pulp fiction is alive and well at the L.A. Vintage Paperback Show in Glendale, where over 100 dealers will show their wares. From sci-fi to mysteries and everything in between, the annual event features free author signings and hours of fun poring over books of the past.

East L.A. Women’s Day Fest

Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
East L.A. Civic Center
4801 E. Third Street, East L.A.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

Celebrate Eastside women’s organizations like Mujeres de Maiz and The Goddess Mercado at the longest running women’s day celebration in East L.A. The event features art and advocacy workshops, music, poetry, local vendors and more.

Free pitas at Miznon opening

Saturday, March 14, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
8370 W 3rd Street, Beverly Grove 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Miznon

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Popular Israeli dining spot Miznon’s new West 3rd St. location is opening this weekend and celebrating with free pitas — Lavan, Broken Chicken or Candy Steak — for the first 100 guests. The new location expands on their Grand Central Market stall, with a full bar and indoor and outdoor seating. Get there early!

Santa Monica Bay Audubon Field Trip

Saturday, March 14, 8 a.m. 
Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve
6350 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

Birdwatchers of all experience levels, get ready for some next-level spotting — there are more than 200 bird species in the Sepulveda Basin — with a free field trip from the Santa Monica Bay Audubon. Join guides for a walk that ensures a peek at many different waterfowl, like pied-billed grebes, great blue herons, black-crowned night herons, American coots, Anna’s hummingbirds, cliff swallows and blue grosbeaks.

ArtNight Pasadena

Friday, March 13, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Various Pasadena locations
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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Courtesy ArtNight Pasadena

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ArtNight Pasadena is back! Free shuttles take you around to all kinds of art and theater experiences for a special night out along Colorado Boulevard and beyond. Head out and see all that Pasadena has to offer, from dance performances to art and photography workshops to gallery and museum installations to free classical music.

Angel City FC Opener vs. Chicago Stars

Sunday, March 15, 4 p.m.
BMO Stadium 
3939 S Figueroa Street, Expo Park
COST: FROM $38; MORE INFO

Sarah Gorden of Angel City FC prepares to kick the ball during a game between Portland Thorns and Angel City.

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Liza Rosales

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No need to wait for the World Cup — we already have first-class women’s soccer happening this weekend, with the Angel City FC season kicking off against the Chicago Stars. Star forward Casey Phair is back from a stint in Sweden, and the team is ready for the new season. (Plus, they have the cutest gear.)

As part of his sentence for a corruption scheme that diverted millions of tax dollars from feeding needy seniors, a federal judge ordered former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do to pay the county $878,230 as restitution for his crime.

“He has the ability to pay a fine,” U.S. District Court Judge James V. Selna wrote last June, listing Do’s net worth at about $1.5 million, with a negative monthly cash flow of $8,400.

At an Aug. 11 restitution hearing, the judge ordered Do to pay the first installment of $250,000 within 30 days.

The next day, Do transferred all of his ownership of his family home — estimated by Zillow to be worth $2.2 million — over to his wife, OC Superior Court Judge Cheri Pham, according to a real estate record.

That Sept. 10 due date for the first restitution payment has long since passed, but federal and county officials say Do has yet to pay it.

“He did not make that payment,” said Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the federal prosecutors’ office that oversaw the case, when asked by LAist about it on Monday. McEvoy said the prosecutors’ office understands “there was no money left in assets” that could be seized.

Leon Page, Orange County’s top lawyer, said county officials are “not aware of any such payment from Andrew Do.”

Do’s attorney, Paul Meyer, declined to comment, saying it would be “inappropriate” to do so.

“It’s hard to believe that so much time has gone by without the restitution being paid,” said Laurie Levenson, a Loyola Law School professor who served decades ago as a senior federal prosecutor at the office that later prosecuted Do.

“It certainly raises questions — if not eyebrows — as to what happened here. Because ordinarily the U.S. Attorney's Office would take victim restitution orders quite seriously.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office can file a court motion if they discover a significant change in the defendant’s economic circumstances that affect their to pay restitution, according to a federal Justice Department guide. The prosecutors’ office also “is required to certify to the Court that victims who are owed restitution are notified about such material changes,” the guide states.

The court’s official online records show no filings regarding any changes in Do’s financial circumstances, or his apparent failure to pay the court-ordered restitution that was due six months ago.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s spokesperson has not responded to a follow up request for comment. They previously declined to answer any further questions about the situation.

Do turned himself into federal prison on Aug. 15, three days after transferring ownership of his family home to his wife. Meanwhile, he continues to collect about $7,300 per month from his county pension, according to the pension system. In addition, this January he received a $12,771 refund from the pension system of all the contributions he made as a supervisor, from when his crime began in June 2020 until he resigned in October 2024.

What happened?

Federal authorities say their understanding is no money was available for them to seize.

“When a defendant fails to pay a restitution order, our office’s financial litigation unit gets involved and completes a thorough financial investigation to find … any assets that could satisfy the outstanding restitution balance,” McEvoy wrote in an emailed response to LAist.

“We cannot comment on what that investigation found, but our understanding is there was no money left in assets that the government could levy to satisfy that order.”

McEvoy declined to answer follow-up questions.

In response to LAist’s questions, county officials say they’re looking into their options if Do refuses to pay restitution as required.

“We do not believe that he has complied with this order, but we’re verifying that is the case at this time,” said the spokesperson, Molly Nichelson.

Property ownership transferred just after restitution order

Do signed a deed on Aug. 12 transferring to his wife all of his ownership in the North Tustin family home they purchased in 2002, according to an official copy of the document LAist obtained from the county clerk-recorder.

Do's attorney declined to comment on the transfer.

An FBI officer at Andrew Do's house in North Tustin.

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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez

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LAist

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LAist obtained permit records showing substantial renovation work on the house was managed in 2021 by the leader of the same nonprofit from whom Do admitted to receiving kickbacks. The work included a bathroom addition and remodel of the master bathroom and kitchen.

Do also was investigated multiple times by the O.C. District Attorney’s Office, going back to 2015, over allegations he was living at the home illegally outside of the district he was representing as supervisor. No criminal charges were filed.

Pham was the court’s second highest-ranking judge when her husband’s corruption scheme came to light. Their two adult daughters received bribe money for their father as part of the scheme, according to Do’s plea deal.

The corruption scheme

After an LAist investigation prompted a criminal investigation, Do admitted to taking bribes as part of a scheme to divert nearly $8 million from feeding needy seniors during the coronavirus pandemic. He is now serving a five-year sentence in federal prison.

The county alleges its losses from the scheme were much higher — more than $13 million — and is trying to recover it through a lawsuit that is expected to take a long time to work its way through the court.

The restitution Do was ordered to pay is separate from the $3.7 million authorities obtained from properties and bank account money held by others accused of involvement in the scheme. That did not come from Do’s assets. Instead, it came from assets owned by his daughter, as well as a business and nonprofit Do had no formal role at.

The total restitution amount

After the first $250,000 installment due in September, Do is required to pay $25 per quarter while in prison.

When Do entered prison in August, his release date was listed in November 2029 — about 85% of his five-year sentence. Seven months in, his expected time in prison has been shortened by two months, with a new release date in September 2029.

A spokesperson for the federal prison system said they cannot comment on specific people’s confinement conditions but that incarcerated people can earn additional time off of their sentence by completing specific classes and programs.

After leaving prison, the restitution order requires Do to pay $1,000 per month or 10% of his income — whichever is more.

At $1,000 per month, the last of the restitution payments would be in late 2081, when Do would be 118 years old.

A group of Los Angeles County high school students is trying to set a world record by collecting thousands of tennis balls and pickleballs for recycling — and they want your help.

The teens are working to keep the recreational equipment out of landfills through a youth-led recycling initiative called “Another Bounce.”

An estimated 500 million tennis and pickleballs are thrown away each year worldwide, according to the organization. In the U.S. alone, 125 million tennis balls end up in landfills annually, according to Stanford University.

A dozen students are leading the charge as part of their roles in the Junior Board of Habits of Waste, a Brentwood-based nonprofit focused on changing people’s habits and systems to help combat climate change.

“There's so much waste, and nobody really pays as much attention to it as they should,” said Max Ehrman, a 15-year-old Brentwood School freshman and junior board member.

Sheila Morovati, the organization’s founder and president, told LAist the initiative aims to get the sports world involved in sustainability. Pickleball, for example, remains the fastest growing sport in America, with tens of thousands of courts across the country.

“Tennis and pickleballs are one of those things where we are just constantly engaging in wastefulness without thinking twice about it,” Morovati said. “How can we think differently? How can we look at what we're doing every day to this planet and say, ‘Hey, can I do any better?’”

The students are collecting used balls within a 30-mile radius of Pacific Palisades and accepting mailed donations to a Santa Monica warehouse. They’re also advocating for recycling improvements with ball manufacturers and elected officials in Southern California.

The campaign will host a community collection event on April 19. The goal is to gather the donations by Earth Day on April 22.

About the initiative

Morovati said the idea started when some students at her son’s school realized how many balls were getting tossed in the trash after only a few hours of use.

The tennis and pickleballs are not biodegradable and can take more than 400 years to decompose, according to Another Bounce.

The initiative is being led by teens and athletes from several L.A.-area high schools, including Crossroads, Brentwood, Loyola, Harvard Westlake and Windward.

Among the participants are Ford and Boone Casady, 16-year-old twin brothers who attend Crossroads School in Santa Monica and who are among the top ranked junior pickleball players in the country.

“There's been nowhere for these balls to go,” Ford told LAist. “It's generally such a waste, and it's terrible to see that happen in our environment.”

“It's just very sad because I've grown up in the Palisades and in the ocean my entire life, and I've noticed the trash in the ocean,” Boone told LAist. “And I'm worried about the animals that are living in that biome that are having to ingest that plastic and those toxic things that are killing them.”

Morovati, who previously set a world record for the most crayons donated to charity in eight hours, said the ultimate goal is to set a recycling record that can’t be beaten easily. However, one of the challenges is storing the balls until they can be counted.

It was easier, in terms of volume, to get up to the million mark with crayons, she said.

“I think in this instance, even if they get into the 50,000, 100,000 range, I would be thrilled,” she added.

Another Bounce is using a three-pronged approach to collect as many balls for recycling as possible:

• Working with clubs and coaches in the area for a local donation drive and accepting donations from other parts of the country with a warehouse in Santa Monica
• Speaking at city council meetings, including in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, to advocate for ordinances that would require parks, schools and clubs to recycle tennis and pickleballs
• Campaigning for major ball manufacturers to roll out nationwide take-back and recycling programs

“We’re trying to, like, change this narrative and we would like you guys to help us by supporting our mission,” said Max, the Brentwood School student. “Talking to your coaches, talking to your schools, talking to your clubs and trying to get as much involvement as possible.”

All the balls collected by Another Bounce throughout the initiative will be counted for their world record attempt before being recycled.

A Guinness World Records spokesperson told LAist it doesn’t currently monitor the title for the most tennis and pickleballs collected for recycling.

The organization is keeping an eye on the most tennis balls collected for recycling in one week, but no one currently holds it. Anyone attempting the record must collect at least 579 pounds, according to Guinness World Records.

How you can help

There are a few ways you can help the teens reach their recycling goal and set a new world record:

• You can schedule a personal volunteer pick-up by sending an email to another.bounce@gmail.com

• You can also send ball donations via snail mail to:
  C. Wiebe (HoW Donation)
  3000 31st St., Suite C
  Santa Monica, CA 90405
  
• You can send an email to major ball manufacturers, including Wilson and Penn, urging the companies to provide take-back and recycling programs online here

Learn more about Another Bounce and keep up with the students’ progress on its website and on Instagram.