O.C.’s Vietnamese community reacts to former Supervisor Andrew Do's resignation and plan to plead guilty to conspiracy

In Orange County's Little Saigon enclave, former Supervisor Andrew Do’s resignation has left some community members feeling betrayed.

Do, who was one of the state's highest-ranked Vietnamese American politicians, resigned Tuesday from the O.C. Board of Supervisors and agreed to plead guilty to a federal bribery charge. His crime: Conspiracy to steal millions of dollars meant to feed needy seniors.

“Mr. Do and his co-conspirators stole money from the poor,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, who called the conspiracy “Robin Hood in reverse” at a news conference in Santa Ana on Tuesday.

Westminster's Little Saigon is home to the largest concentration of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam, and the corruption scandal has rippled through the community.

“A sense of betrayal and regret for him, for his family. I myself feel really sad for his family,” said Nelson Nguyen, the vice president of the group Vietnamese Community of Southern California. “It could have been different. He could have left a great legacy.”

One of Andrew Do's attorneys, Paul S. Meyer, said in a statement Tuesday: “Out of respect for the legal process, no statement is appropriate at this time. However, it is appropriate to convey Andrew Do’s sincere apology and deep sadness to his family, to his constituents in District One and to his colleagues."

The Asian Garden shopping mall, also known as Phước Lộc Thọ, which contains Perfume River Restaurant & Lounge in the heart of Little Saigon.

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Brian Feinzimer

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LAist

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A familiar immigrant story

Do’s story, one that he has shared publicly many times, is familiar to many in Little Saigon.

It's the story of a political refugee who came to the U.S. from Vietnam with just a few personal belongings and worked hard to achieve the American Dream. Instead, he's now facing up to five years in prison.

HongTien Tran, a resident of Garden Grove, said he could relate to Andrew Do’s story. Tran’s father came to America as a political refugee when one of the main thoroughfares in the heart of Little Saigon, Bolsa Avenue, was still strawberry fields. Over the course of some 50 years in the community, Tran said, he has watched the area blossom and grow because of the hard work and dedication of the community.

“I see a lot of sacrifice,” Tran said. “They put in 10 to 12 hours a day, they save up, they put their children to college and the children work hard to achieve the American dream.”

Andrew Do’s actions, he said, are “unethical” and “completely wrong.”

“As a Vietnamese American, it also brings disgrace to our community because that doesn't reflect the true working aspect of the community,” Tran said.

The story of the Vietnamese American community in America, he said, is one of strong work ethics and doing the right thing, not of “cutting corners, not through doing illegal things.”

Lisa Nguyen, the community engagement director at VietRise, a nonprofit based in Little Saigon, said the impact of Andrew Do’s actions is mostly being felt by the community’s most vulnerable.

“It is really disappointing to see what is unfolding, especially with how much of this impact is kind of spreading across different parts of our community,” Nguyen said. “Especially impacting our seniors, our elders, who actually should benefit from receiving the meals, receiving the services that were promised.”

She said community members across generations have expressed their disappointment in Andrew Do. In the upcoming election cycle, she said, the community wants to see “a government that cares about the people, that cares about them as individuals and their families and their neighbors and their community, as well as accountability and transparency.”

"The hero turned against the community”

LAist first started reporting on how Andrew Do directed COVID federal funds to Viet America Society, the nonprofit with ties to his daughter Rhiannon Do, back in November.

Despite the media reports, Nelson Nguyen said that over the past year, about half of the community members he was in touch with still supported Andrew Do and “refused to believe what was reported in the news.”

This week’s announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Nelson Nguyen said, shocked people because they were hoping the media reports were false.

“There was no exaggeration. The numbers [that prosecutors shared in the plea deal announcement] kind of reflect what was reported [in LAist] before so it's just a confirmation of everything that was reported,” he said.

It could have been different, Nguyen said. As supervisor for many years, Nguyen said the Vietnamese American community appreciated some of his work. Nguyen pointed to the annual Tet Festival in Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley, the expansion of services to the County Service Center in Westminster and a the clearing of a homeless encampment along the Santa Ana River trail.

“He could have left a great legacy. He was probably the most influential elected official in Orange County among Vietnamese Americans,” Nguyen said.

Dzung Do, editor of Vietnamese language media Nguoi Viet, an LAist partner newsroom, said he’s also seen a shift. Andrew Do, he said, has become “the hero turned against the community.”

Dzung Do said many in the community who once looked up to Andrew Do, now pity him.

“He's a lawyer, his wife is a judge, he has two adorable daughters, and now he ruined everything,” Dzung Do said. “I think a lot of people regret that they voted for him.”

Catch up on the investigation

In November 2023, LAist began investigating how millions in public taxpayer dollars were spent. In total, LAist has uncovered public records showing more than $13 million in public money that was approved to a little-known nonprofit that records state was led on and off by Rhiannon Do. Most of that money was directed to the group by Supervisor Do outside of the public’s view and never appeared on public meeting agendas. He did not publicly disclose his family ties.

Much of the known funding came from federal coronavirus relief money.

• Read the story that launched the investigation: Top OC official helped direct millions to his daughter’s center without disclosing family connection
• Since LAist started reporting, we’ve also uncovered the group was two years overdue in completing a required audit into whether the meal funds were spent appropriately.
• And LAist found the amount of taxpayer money directed to the nonprofit was much larger than initially known. It totals at least $13.5 million in county funding — tallied from government records obtained and published by LAist. 
• After our reporting, O.C. officials wrote demand letters to the nonprofit saying millions in funding were unaccounted for. They warned the nonprofit that it could be forced to repay the funds.
• And, LAist found the nonprofit missed a deadline set by county officials to provide proof about how funding for meals were spent.
• On Aug. 2, LAist reported O.C. officials were demanding the refund of more than $3 million in public funds awarded by Do to VAS and another nonprofit, Hand to Hand.
• Six days later, LAist reported Orange County officials had expanded demands for refunds of millions in tax dollars from the nonprofits and threatened legal action.
• On Aug. 15, LAist reported O.C. officials sued VAS and its key officers and associated businesses, including Rhiannon Do. The lawsuit alleges that county money was illegally used to purchase five homes and was converted into cash through ATM transactions. 
• Then, on Aug. 19, LAist reported O.C. officials had announced a second lawsuit against Hand to Hand and its CEO to recover millions of taxpayer dollars that were directed by Supervisor Do.
• LAist broke the news on Aug. 22 that federal agents were searching Rhiannon Do's home in Tustin. Later that day, Supervisor Do's home, and other properties, were also raided.
• On Oct. 16, LAist reported that the wife of Supervisor Do's top aide was hired for a $275,000 contract. County officials say the work was never turned in and two days later LAist reported that a court filing confirmed a federal grand jury had been convened and subpoenas issued.
• Six days later, federal prosecutors announced Andrew Do had agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. They said Do accepted over $550,000 in bribes for directing and voting in favor of more than $10 million in COVID funds to VAS. He resigned as supervisor the same day.

How to watchdog local government

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• Read tips on how to get involved.
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