Former OC Supervisor Do will plead guilty to serious bribery in court today

With political power in sharp decline, former Orange County Auditor Andrew Do is expected to plead guilty to a felony bribery charge at the federal courthouse in Santa Ana on Thursday. The claim came almost a year later LAist started investigating What happened to the millions of taxpayer dollars that Do funneled to a nonprofit run intermittently by his daughter, Rhiannon Do?

Andrew Do is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Court Judge James Selna at 11 a.m.

Part of criminal complaint Agreement signed by Andrew Do met with local and federal prosecutors earlier this month; this included his resignation from the Board of Inspectors. Under the agreement, the former executive will admit that, starting in June 2020, he conspired to steal millions of dollars to feed needy seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrew Do will face the following penalties:

• Maximum five years imprisonment
• A fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the crime.
• Full compensation to victims under the plea agreement is estimated at between $550,000 and $730,500

Andrew Do, whose wife, Cheri Pham, is deputy chief judge of the Orange County Superior Court, also agreed to forfeit a home in Santa Ana and his pension accrued starting in June 2020, when the plan began. Her daughter, Rhiannon Do, will not face charges as part of a plea deal with authorities, but will have to forfeit the Tustin home she bought last summer. These houses are at least four wanted by FBI and IRS officials in August.

Additionally, convicted felons in California are generally prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm for life.

As part of the agreement, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer agreed not to prosecute Andrew Do for any crimes related to the same facts outlined in the federal plea agreement.

Still, at a news conference last week announcing the settlement, Spitzer and U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said the investigation into potential misuse of taxpayer funds at OC was active.

“We are taking the first step towards justice and accountability, and we will follow every lead,” Estrada said.

Only 15 percent of the $9.3 million in public funds Andrew Do directed to his daughter’s nonprofit went to people in need, local and federal officials say.

Lawrence Rosenthal, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches at Chapman University Fowler School of Law, said authorities could impose much higher sentences on Andrew Do and his daughter than outlined in the plea agreement. “This is a very positive trend for Mr. Do and a surprisingly positive trend for Mrs. Do,” he said of Rhiannon.

Rhiannon Do’s deal

Rhiannon Do, 23, admitted participating in mortgage fraud involving a $1 million Tustin home she purchased with a kickback from a company that benefited from Do’s contract awards. As part of what prosecutors call a “package deal,” he is expected to take a so-called diversionary deal that includes three years of probation when his father pleads guilty.

Under the agreement, in addition to losing her home in Tustin, Rhiannon Do also promises:

• He will be jointly liable with his father to pay damages up to $730,500;
• Cooperate fully with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other authorities in any ongoing investigations; And
• Go to school (Rhiannon is a third-year law student at UC Irvine) or work, including preparing for the State Bar exam.

What about Do’s law license?

Andrew Do has been licensed by the State Bar to practice law in California since 1990. Former federal prosecutor Rosenthal called it “extraordinary” that Do did not surrender his law license and accept voluntary disbarment as part of the plea. agreement.

He also said it was “remarkable” that Rhiannon Do was able to take the State Bar exam and potentially become licensed to practice law.

“When I was a prosecutor, state bar officials would often file complaints when they felt they were expected to resolve issues that needed to be resolved in a criminal case,” Rosenthal said, “and this certainly seems to be an example of that.” “

There is currently a consumer alert on the State Bar website stating that Andrew Do has been charged with a felony. A spokesperson for the licensing agency told LAist that Do’s felony conviction would be forwarded to the State Bar Court, which has the authority to suspend Do’s license if he pleads guilty.

It’s worth noting that California is not one of the three states that ban all felons from becoming lawyers.

Screenshot of the State Bar website containing the consumer alert for Andrew Do.

However, if the felony is determined to involve moral turpitude or “a specific intent to deceive, defraud, steal, or make a false statement or perjury,” Andrew Do will be disbarred, it said. State Bar rules.

Can Rhiannon Do still be a lawyer?

To become a licensed attorney in California, Rhiannon Do must prove she has “good moral character.” State Bar rulesThese include “integrity, fairness, candor, reliability, compliance with fiduciary duties, respect and obedience to the law, respect for the rights of others and due process.”

Applicants to the State Bar must pass a background check and submit a moral character application to be reviewed by the Bar Association. Under state bar rules, applicants for admission to the bar must disclose pending criminal matters.

Follow the investigation

In November 2023, LAist began investigating how millions of public taxpayer dollars were being spent. In total, LAist uncovered public records showing more than $13 million in public money approved by a little-known nonprofit whose registration state was opened and closed by Rhiannon Do. Much of this money was directed to the group by Controller Do out of public view and was never included on public meeting agendas. He has not publicly disclosed his family ties.

Most of the known funds came from federal coronavirus relief money.

• Read the story that started the investigation: Top OC official helped direct millions to daughter’s center without disclosing family connection
• Since LAist began covering the group two years late Completing the necessary audit to determine whether meal funds are spent appropriately.
• And LAist found the amount of taxpayer money directed to the nonprofit: much larger than initially known. County funds total at least $13.5 million, calculated from government records obtained and published by LAist.
• Following our reporting, OC officials Wrote demand letters to nonprofit organization He said millions in funds were unaccounted for. They warned the nonprofit it might have to repay the funds.
• And LAist found the nonprofit I missed the deadline It was designated by county officials to provide evidence of how meal funding was spent.
• on August 2 LAist reported OC officials were demanding the return of more than $3 million in public funds Do gave to VAS and another nonprofit, Hand to Hand.
• Six days later, LAist reported that Orange County officials refund requests expanded has collected millions of dollars in taxes from nonprofits and threatened legal action.
• On August 15, LAist reported: OC officials sue VAS and its key officials and related businesses, including Rhiannon Do. The lawsuit alleges that county money was used to illegally purchase five homes and was converted into cash through ATM transactions.
• Later on August 19, LAist reported that OC officials stated: announced the second case against Hand in Hand and its CEO will recover millions of taxpayer dollars diverted by Supervisor Do.
• LAist He broke the news on August 22 He said federal agents searched Rhiannon Do’s home in Tustin. Later the same day, Chief Do’s home and other properties were also raided.
• On October 16, LAist reported that the wife of Supervisor Do’s top aide had been hired for a $275,000 contract. District officials say work wasn’t delivered and two days later LAist reported a court filing. approved federal grand jury were gathered and summons were issued.
• Six days later, federal prosecutors arrested Andrew Do. agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy to commit bribery. They said Do accepted more than $550,000 in bribes in favor of more than $10 million in COVID funds to VAS for directing and voting. He resigned from the directorate on the same day.

How to monitor local government?

One of the best things you can do to hold authorities accountable is to be careful.

Your city council, board of supervisors, school board, and more hold public meetings that anyone can attend. These are times when you can speak directly to your elected officials and learn about the policies they voted on and that affect your community.

• To read Tips on how to get involved.
• The next scheduled board meeting is Tuesday, November 5. The full OC Board of Supervisors schedule is here.
• To learn How to submit a public comment to the OC Board of Supervisors.

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