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Orange County supervisors choose outside firm to audit contracts approved under Andrew Do
A public commenter addresses the Orange County Board of Supervisors back in January 2024.
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Nick Gerda
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LAist
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Orange County Supervisors launch an audit into possible corruption
The Orange County Board of Supervisors selected a firm today to audit some 2,500 contracts approved during disgraced former Supervisor Andrew Do’s time on the board.
What's the backstory?
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.
Why now
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 contacts approved during Do’s tenure, going back to 2019.
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The incident Wednesday night came amid early talks for the agency to adopt a pilot program for weapons detection on buses. -
The orders will go into effect 11 a.m. Tuesday. -
The big cat was captured within 200 meters of the animal crossing — a project expected to be complete in 2026.
The winning bid
The O.C. supervisors chose a Texas-based accounting firm to carry out the audit. It wasn’t the least expensive option at $1.4 million, but the firm did propose getting results in the least amount of time — less than a year. Supervisors said that was important so the information doesn’t get stale.
What will happen with the results?
The county has committed to releasing the results of the audit publicly and in phases, starting with the biggest and riskiest contracts. We’ll likely get those initial results early next year.
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Federal prosecutors say the longtime O.C. supervisor has agreed to plead guilty and resign in a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars meant to feed needy seniors, following a months-long LAist investigation and federal probe. -
A look back at LAist reporting that uncovered more than $13 million in public funds directed to a little-known nonprofit by Andrew Do, who did not disclose that his daughter Rhiannon Do held leadership roles with the group — which was not required by state law at the time. -
Then-Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do directed taxpayer dollars to a nonprofit to build the memorial. They later returned $150,000 after LAist questions. Now it's likely to be demolished.
Any further evidence of wrongdoing by Do or associates could get rolled into the county’s ongoing civil lawsuit against Do and associates in the hopes of recovering misspent funds. Supervisors said it also was important to identify the weak points that allowed the corruption to take place and anyone else who might have taken advantage of them.
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How to watchdog your 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 Orange County Board of Supervisors is Oct. 28 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.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
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