Orange County has a reputation for its fabulous climate and beaches, but it’s also becoming known for its public-corruption scandals. The latest one is a doozy – and raises an obvious question: What does it take to get local and state law enforcement officials to do their job and tackle brazen allegations of corruption?
As a refresher, Supervisor Andrew Do had helped direct through his discretionary budget or Board of Supervisors decisions more than $10 million in pandemic-relief funds to a non-profit organization affiliated with this daughter. Do never disclosed the connection between Viet America Society and his daughter. That’s sleazy, but not a violation of any rule.
But for over a year, the county has been trying to get an accounting of how the money was spent. The group continually made excuses and missed deadlines – and reportedly fired an auditor that was producing a critical report of its spending. The county then demanded a return of $2.2 million, but the group responded with defiant public statements instead.
This Editorial Board has called on the county to stand firm, so we’re pleased that last week it filed a lawsuit to claw back some of the funds. Still, the nature of allegations require oversight from law-enforcement agencies and not just civil authorities.
The lawsuit alleges that “instead of using these funds to assist the County’s most vulnerable populations,” the Viet America Society “and its officers and associates, brazenly plundered these funds for their own personal gain.” It pointed to personal properties allegedly purchased with these funds. These are just allegations – and the group has adamantly denies them. The county followed up with a lawsuit against a second group this week.
But these allegations are highly concerning, even in the context of the Anaheim corruption scandal that toppled a mayor. In this case and that one, however, the local district attorney and state attorney general largely shrugged. We can only guess their motives, but it’s time for those offices to put aside any worries about politics and step to the plate to protect the public.
