Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do is expected to plead guilty to a federal charge for accepting more than half a million dollars in bribes to direct federal funds to his daughter's nonprofit, the Justice Department said Tuesday.
Do, 62, is expected to make an initial appearance in United States District Court in Santa Ana later this month.
Do admitted that in exchange for $550,000 in bribes, he voted in favor of directing millions of dollars in COVID-related funds to Viet America Society, which was supposed to feed seniors during the pandemic with the federal money, according to the federal officials.
Do’s daughter, Rhiannon, is listed as an officer with the nonprofit.
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The supervisor also admitted to abusing his position of trust as a county official, the Justice Department said, while working with other county employees to approve contacts with Viet America Society.
“Essentially he functioned like Robin Hood in reverse, and his conspirators stole money from the poor to give to themselves," U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said.
Estrada added the feds seized some $2.4 million in illicit proceeds generated through the corruption scheme, and Do has agreed to forfeit his rights to the money.
Do has agreed to immediately resign from the Orange County Board of Supervisors and forfeit any pension that he accumulated during the time period when he participated in the bribery scheme in addition to a property in Santa Ana and another in Tustin.
In response, the supervisor's attorney, Paul S. Meyer, released a statement.
"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," Meyer said.
Orange County is also suing Viet America Society for embezzling more than $13 million in federal funding.
After the FBI in August served search warrants at several locations linked to Viet American society as well as a Tustin home, which is owned by Do according to property records, the Orange County Board of Supervisors censured Do, issuing a public condemnation.
Here are additional details of Do's bribery scheme, according to the DOJ:
- Between April 2021 and February 2024, Viet America Society paid "Company #1" $100,000 or more per month. Then, Company #1 began paying Rhiannon Do, the supervisor's daughter, $8,000 a month.
- Company #1 also transferred a total of $381,500 to an escrow company. Do's daughter used the escrow account funds to purchase a home in Tustin for over $1 million.
- Do admitted more than $380,000 from Company #1 was a disguised bribe to him.
- Some of the bribe funds were sent to his daughters then later were spent by Do. In one incident, $14,849 was funneled to Do's daughters then used to make property tax payments for Do's properties.
- Do also knew Viet America Society was not providing all the meals for which the county paid.
