First District Supervisor Andrew Do was absent from Tuesday’s OC Board of Supervisors meeting; with it unclear if Do will select to overlook extra conferences and his proximity to an unfolding probe, two of his colleagues are questioning the supervisor’s capability to contribute to conducting county enterprise.
Supervisor Katrina Foley even addressed Do, whom she mentioned she believed was watching the assembly, and known as upon him to resign his place.
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Do directed thousands and thousands of {dollars} via his district discretionary fund to Viet America Society for a vitamin hole program throughout the pandemic, but the nonprofit is now being sued by the county, which is alleging the organization and a few of its management misused public {dollars} for private acquire. Federal agents last week raided a home owned by Do, his office, a home purchased by his daughter, Rhiannon, and the home of Viet American Society leader Peter Pham.
“We’ve got extremely tough selections earlier than us. We’ve got a CEO search that’s pending,” Second District Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento mentioned Tuesday, including the board can be coping with current court docket selections and a brand new state proposition that would have an effect on how the county offers homeless and psychological well being companies. “So these are extremely tough selections which are coming earlier than us.”
“I imagine that it is vitally tough for one in every of us to have the ability to perform our public capabilities whereas all of that is swirling round,” mentioned Sarmiento, who has known as for Do to step down. Sarmiento mentioned a county lawsuit “implicates not solely a member of the family” but additionally the discretionary funds distributed by Do’s workplace.
Do will not be named within the county’s lawsuit and federal authorities haven’t mentioned what their investigation entails.
Fourth District Supervisor Doug Chaffee and Third District Supervisor Don Wagner mentioned the county’s work will proceed unfazed.
“I don’t know that it’s a lot of a distraction to the enterprise that we’re doing,” Wagner mentioned. “I’m seeing our county staff persevering with to do their jobs. I’m seeing that the county will not be lacking a beat in its efficiency of county capabilities. On the finish of it, I feel the enterprise of the county continues to be carried out and carried out effectively.”
The county has not had a permanent CEO since the retirement of former chief executive Frank Kim in July. The board has been deliberating potential replacements, nonetheless, no remaining determination has been made. The supervisors had been scheduled to debate the place once more on Tuesday throughout a closed session.
Chaffee mentioned even when Do sits out public conferences sooner or later, he may nonetheless be part of closed periods and take part within the search.
Do didn’t attend Tuesday’s closed session, in response to Wagner and Sarmiento.
“I don’t assume it’s been a distraction. There’s some candidates there, however we don’t have a unanimous opinion and even, say a majority vote at this level,” Chaffee mentioned. “Now for the longer term, I can’t say that makes a distinction or not.”
“I do what I do, and I’m not gonna let something stand in the best way,” Chaffee added. “I’m going to are likely to county enterprise as greatest I can. I’m not in any method stopped from doing what I do due to this controversy.”
It’s “unsettling” that Do will not be speaking with different board members’ workplaces, Sarmiento added.
“As colleagues, there being solely 5 of us, something that anybody of us does impacts the opposite board workplaces,” Sarmiento mentioned. “I do really feel that it places all of us at a drawback when one in every of us is so distracted by every thing that’s taking place.”
Wagner, who’s serving because the chair of the Board of Supervisors, mentioned Monday he could have a vote on the Sept. 10 assembly on whether or not to take away Do from all board and committee assignments.
“We are able to’t, as a board, take away him from our board. The one factor we will do that’s substantive is take away him from any fee positions that he’s obtained,” Wagner mentioned Tuesday. “That’s what step we’re taking to point out we deal with this severely.”
Fifth District Supervisor Foley on Monday known as on state Lawyer Common Rob Bonta to research whether or not Do lives within the First District, given the home that was raided is in Tustin, and take away him from workplace if he doesn’t.
The state Lawyer Common’s Workplace on Tuesday mentioned it was conscious of Foley’s request, however wouldn’t remark additional. Foley requested Bonta provoke an motion by which he would decide whether or not to file a lawsuit with the superior court docket to take away an elected official.
Foley mentioned if Do doesn’t voluntarily resign, she is going to “pursue each authorized avenue out there” to have him faraway from workplace.
Chaffee mentioned with Do termed out in December it’s a “waste of power” to deal with calling for his resignation.
Throughout her public remark interval, Foley instantly addressed Do who she mentioned was in all probability watching just about.
“Andrew, please resign. Resignation will not be an act of contrition, and you might be entitled to due course of. Nevertheless, your place on the board is untenable and can solely trigger hurt to the nice work of the county,” Foley mentioned. “If you happen to really care about this county, as you may have claimed many occasions up to now, then you’ll step down so we will start to heal the deep wounds that you’ve got induced all of us.”
Do didn’t reply to a number of requests for touch upon Tuesday.
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