When a politician is ensnared by a scandal, we usually counsel the normal wait-and-see process that starts with an independent investigation. Elected officials hold their offices as a public trust, so the standard for maintaining it isn’t the same as in a court of law, but they still deserve due process.
Yet after evaluating the latest allegations involving Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do, we’re convinced it’s time for him to resign from the board. Basically, this is the final straw after a series of troubling financial-related incidents.
The latest allegations are detailed by LAist (89.3 FM, formerly KPCC): “Without publicly disclosing his family connection … Do approved funding that included $3.1 million in two subcontracts for a mental health center led by his daughter.” Do previously played a role in sending $4.2 million to its parent group, even though it “was not a legally registered nonprofit.”
As LAist added, the state attorney general’s office warned the organization it was not in good standing and was prohibited from “soliciting or disbursing charitable funds.” Local nonprofit leaders were so concerned about the contracts that one of them reportedly contacted the FBI.
Related: No one should be shocked by Andrew Do’s CalOptima antics
Whatever the legal propriety involving an adult daughter, the contracts seem at odds with the county’s ethics code barring special treatment to anyone “beyond which is available to every other person in similar circumstance.” That may be vague and toothless, but we’re not talking about prosecution — but whether Do should maintain his powerful office.
This year, the state released an audit of CalOptima after Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, D-Fullerton, complained about Do’s control of the healthcare agency. The audit said CalOptima was open to “criticism about the objectivity, appropriateness and transparency of its hiring process.”
The state zinged Do with a large fine for his time at the agency — including for fundraising related to the founder of the nonprofit at the center of the latest allegations, per LAist. Do resigned from CalOptima, and now it’s time for him to resign from the county board. He simply cannot be trusted with so much financial responsibility.
We write this as an editorial board that endorsed Andrew Do in both 2016 and 2020, crediting him for his focus on homelessness and limited government inclinations. After we endorsed him in the 2020 primary, he faced a state investigation over alleged money laundering. While he was ultimately cleared of wrongdoing in that case due to insufficient evidence he broke the law, it’s been hard to ignore the dark cloud around him. And it’s impossible to ignore the pattern of cronyism and corruption that has been repeatedly affirmed.
Andrew Do should do the right thing and resign from office, now.
