With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Orange County wants Andrew Do to repay $10 million, much more than prosecutors seek
Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do at the board of supervisors meeting on Nov. 28, 2023
(
Nick Gerda
/
LAist
)
Topline:
In a new twist in the corruption case against former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do, Orange County wants the former county supervisor to pay back more than $10 million he steered to a group in exchange for bribes. That amount is far more than what prosecutors are seeking ahead of an upcoming hearing.
What the county wants: The county filed a formal request to the court Friday requesting that Do be ordered to pay more than $10 million in restitution, based on the amounts of COVID relief money he had awarded to the nonprofit Viet America Society. Do has admitted that about $8 million of that money was diverted from feeding needy seniors, and that he received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes through the group to his daughters. The restitution would be paid to the county, as the victim.
Orange County 's request: “The county’s entitlement to restitution ... is not limited to the amount that [Do] personally gained through bribes but should be based on the county’s actual losses that was caused by [Do’s] criminal conduct,” an attorney for the county wrote in the request.
Sponsor
-
Weingart Center has been continuously out of compliance for nearly four years, according to an LAist review of records. Audits found multiple failures to properly account for taxpayer money. -
The city- and state-backed deal banned the buyer from ever telling the public who was receiving the taxpayer funds, according to an LAist review of records. -
Citing LAist’s coverage, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath is proposing to require the county to publicly post details of all future settlements with county executives.
What prosecutors say: Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney’s office disagree with the county’s request. They say there’s not sufficient evidence to prove Do could foresee that the fraud involved money beyond the bribes. Instead, they’re requesting that the restitution be set at $878,230.80 — almost all of it being the bribe money they say Do received through his daughters. That restitution would be in addition to the $2.4 million in money and two properties forfeited last month, including a home Do’s daughter Rhiannon Do bought in unincorporated Tustin, and a commercial property purchased by a company linked to the scheme.
How to reach me
If you have a tip, you can reach me on Signal. My username is ngerda.47.
- You can follow this link to reach me there or type my username in the search bar after starting a new chat.
- For instructions on getting started with Signal, see the app's support page.
- And if you're comfortable just reaching out my email I'm at ngerda@scpr.org
What Do says: Do’s lawyers are asking the judge to reduce the amount he owes to $802,692 to account for work they say Rhiannon Do performed for one of the organizations that received county funds. One of Do’s criminal defense attorneys, Paul Meyer, declined to comment about the county’s request for $10 million, saying it would be inappropriate to comment before the hearing.
What’s next: Judge James V. Selna has scheduled a hearing for Aug. 11 to discuss restitution. Do has to report to federal prison four days later to start serving a five-year term. Federal prisoners typically serve at least 85% of their sentence — in Do’s case, four years. The county also has an ongoing civil lawsuit seeking repayment of funds from the scheme, though the suit is expected to take much longer to reach a decision than the criminal restitution.
-
Critics say the current state-approved housing plan will make the city overcrowded. -
Families can get notified when services reach their area and whether they qualify. -
Down south, a group of bagel makers is quietly generating excitement in the bagel-verse.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
