{"id":2339728,"date":"2024-09-11T13:13:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T17:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/orange-county-supervisor-removed-from-committees-over-accusations-of-stealing-covid-19-funds-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-11T13:21:21","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T17:21:21","slug":"orange-county-supervisor-removed-from-committees-over-accusations-of-stealing-covid-19-funds-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/orange-county-supervisor-removed-from-committees-over-accusations-of-stealing-covid-19-funds-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange County supervisor removed from committees over accusations of stealing COVID-19 funds &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Forange-county-supervisor-removed-from-committees-over-accusations-of-stealing-covid-19-funds-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2339728&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Andrew\u200b Do, a \u200cRepublican member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, has been\u2064 removed from\u200c various committees due to allegations \u2062of misconduct \u200dinvolving pandemic funds. He \u2062stands accused of aiding his daughter\u2019s non-profit, the Viet America \u200cSociety (VAS), in embezzling over $13\u200c million meant for \u200bCOVID-19 \u200brelief. The Orange\u2064 County \u200cBoard voted unanimously to strip \u2064him of his positions, citing \u200ca loss of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cook-county-states-attorney-kim-foxx-releases-do-not-call-list-of-unreliable-police-officers\/\" title=\"Kim Foxx, Cook County State&#039;s Attorney, shares &#039;Do Not Call&#039; list of untrustworthy cops.\">public \u200ctrust<\/a>. The allegations arose following a lawsuit filed by the county against Rhiannon Do and VAS, which purportedly misused substantial funding aimed at helping vulnerable communities. Instead of \u2064distributing aid,\u200c the organization allegedly diverted\u200b money\u200b for \u200dpersonal gain, including purchasing luxury properties. A vote of censure against Andrew Do \u2064is \u200cexpected on September 24.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Orange County supervisor removed from committees over accusations of stealing COVID-19 funds<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1744966\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>California<\/a> official was removed from committees and regional board positions following allegations that he helped his daughter&rsquo;s non-profit organization embezzle over $13 million in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/covid-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>pandemic<\/a> funds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Republican Andrew Do, an Orange County Board of Supervisors member and leader in the Vietnamese community, represents the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/just-in-floyd-county-georgia-terminates-election-director-after-statewide-audit-discovers-uncounted-votes\/\" title=\"JUST IN: Floyd County, Georgia Terminates Election Director After Statewide Audit Discovers Uncounted Votes\">county&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s 1st District. The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to strip him of his positions Tuesday. He faces a vote of censure by the board on Sept. 24.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He has completely eroded public trust,&rdquo; Katrina Foley, who is one of Do&rsquo;s colleagues on the board, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/nation\/2024\/09\/11\/orange-county-pandemic-relief-money\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> the <em>Washington Post<\/em>. &ldquo;We cannot have him representing us on behalf of our board.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Last month, the county sued the embattled county supervisor&rsquo;s daughter, Rhiannon Do, and the non-profit organization she helped lead after <a href=\"https:\/\/laist.com\/news\/politics\/orange-county-taxpayer-money-andrew-do-viet-america-society-warner-wellness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>LAist<\/em> reported<\/a> it was mired in corruption. A trail of emails, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rhode-island-mom-asked-for-information-about-critical-race-theory-in-curriculum-now-faces-potential-lawsuit-from-school-committee\/\" title=\"Rhode Island Mom Asked For Information About Critical Race Theory In Curriculum, Now Faces Potential Lawsuit From School Committee\">public record requests<\/a>, and interviews indicated that Rhiannon Do&rsquo;s Viet America Society diverted millions in funding for personal purposes that were intended to help vulnerable communities in the county.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Viet America Society, and its officers and associates, brazenly plundered these funds for their own personal gain,&rdquo; the lawsuit reads. &ldquo;[They] saw the opportunity, and conspired to embezzle pandemic relief funds by executing contracts that they never intended to perform, instead using the funding streams as their own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/retirements-of-millions-of-americans-in-jeopardy-as-esg-rule-weakens-protections\/\" title=\"Retirements of Millions of Americans in \u2018Jeopardy\u2019 as ESG Rule Weakens Protections\">personal banking accounts<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The saga began in 2020 when Orange County received millions from the 2020 Cares Act and the 2021 American Rescue Plan to help it recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with the task of distributing the funds across the community, members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors began to determine which organizations and projects warranted additional financing across their respective districts.<\/p>\n<p>Andrew Do moved to dole out a significant portion of the allocated funding for his district to VAS, entering into multiple contracts with the non-profit organization over the next few years. VAS was supposed to serve as a conduit to distribute meals to seniors and residents with disabilities struggling from the pandemic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Marshall Moncrief, CEO, Be Well OC; Supervisor Donald P. Wagner, Orange County Board of Supervisors, 3rd District; Chief Assistant District Attorney Shawn Nelson, Orange County District Attorney&rsquo;s Office; Chairman Andrew Do, Orange County Board of Supervisors, 1st District; Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, Orange County Board of Supervisors, 5th District; District Attorney Todd Spitzer, Orange County District Attorney&rsquo;s Office; Paulette Chaffee, Ambassador, Orange County Board of Supervisors, 4th District; Dr. Richard Afable, Board Chair, Mind OC, cut the official ribbon at the Be Well OC Orange Campus. (Photo: Business Wire)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But instead of helping Vietnamese Americans in poverty and other vulnerable members in the county, Andrew Do and VAS reportedly funneled a bulk of the funding to buy high-dollar properties and finance luxury lifestyles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The county presented in its lawsuit against the Vietnamese organization allegations that Rhiannon Do used the funds to buy a million-dollar residence last year. Peter Pham, who served as president of VAS, and is a friend of Andrew Do, has also come under scrutiny for property he bought, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/09\/10\/us\/orange-county-leader-faces-scrutiny-over-charitys-pandemic-spending.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>New York Times<\/em><\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>His lawyer, who represents the non-profit organization, pushed back against suggestions that the organization had acted improperly in comments to the outlet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;My clients did not take a vow of poverty,&rdquo; Mark Rosen argued.<\/p>\n<p>VAS is also being investigated for, among other matters, failing to complete a million-dollar contract to construct a Vietnam War memorial in the county, which boasts one of the largest Vietnamese-American populations in the country.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>VietRISE and the Harbor Institute for Immigrant &amp; Economic Justice, both non-profit organizations that assist immigrant communities in Orange County, called on Andrew Do to resign in August.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Supervisor Do used his position to divert taxpayer dollars toward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nyc-sees-influx-of-luxury-real-estate-liquidations-from-russian-sellers\/\" title=\"NYC Sees Influx of Luxury Real Estate Liquidations From Russian Sellers\">million-dollar properties<\/a> for his own family and friends,&rdquo; the groups <a href=\"https:\/\/vietrise.org\/vietrise-and-harbor-institute-reaffirm-call-for-oc-supervisor-andrew-do-to-resign-and-urge-district-attorney-to-investigate-misuse-of-millions-in-taxpayer-dollars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>wrote<\/a> in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1744966\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1744966\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do has been removed from various committees and regional board roles amid allegations that he assisted his daughter&#8217;s non-profit in embezzling more than $13 million in COVID-19 relief funds. The Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to strip him of his positions on Tuesday, with a censure vote scheduled for September 24. Colleague Katrina Foley expressed concerns about the loss of public trust, stating that Do can no longer represent the board.<\/p>\n<p>Last month, the county filed a lawsuit against Rhiannon Do and her organization, Viet America Society (VAS), after reports surfaced regarding corruption within the group. Investigations revealed that VAS misappropriated funds intended for vulnerable communities to benefit personally instead. The lawsuit claims that VAS officials conspired to misuse pandemic relief funds by entering into contracts they had no intention of fulfilling.<\/p>\n<p>The controversy began when Orange County received substantial funding from federal relief packages in 2020 and 2021 aimed at aiding recovery from the pandemic. Andrew Do allocated significant portions of this funding to VAS, which was meant to provide meals for seniors and disabled residents affected by COVID-19. However, instead of assisting those in need, it is alleged that he and VAS redirected much of this money towards purchasing expensive properties and supporting lavish lifestyles.<\/p>\n<p>The county&#8217;s lawsuit also alleges Rhiannon Do used these funds to acquire a million-dollar home last year. Peter Pham, former president of VAS and an associate of Andrew Do, is also under scrutiny for property purchases linked to these allegations. While Pham&#8217;s attorney defended their actions as not improper, concerns remain about VAS\u2019s failure to fulfill a contract for constructing a Vietnam War memorial in an area with one of the largest Vietnamese-American populations.<\/p>\n<p>In August, two non-profits focused on immigrant support called for Andrew Do&#8217;s resignation over accusations that he misused taxpayer dollars for personal gain related to real estate transactions involving family and friends<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2339729,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Andrew-Do.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[8460,40644,40643,20343],"class_list":["post-2339728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-accusations","tag-covid-19-funds","tag-orange-county","tag-supervisor"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Andrew-Do.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2339728"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339728\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2339729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2339728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2339728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2339728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}