FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, August 22, 2024

*Updated Thursday, August 23, 2024

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 Amid FBI Raids

LITTLE SAIGON, CA – In response to recent lawsuits filed by the County of Orange and FBI raids against leaders of the Viet America Society (VAS) and Hand to Hand Relief Organization for allegedly embezzling millions of dollars in COVID relief funds to purchase homes for themselves, VietRISE and the Harbor Institute for Immigrant & Economic Justice have issued this statement:

While Orange County’s immigrant and refugee communities suffered the brunt of the pandemic’s onset, Supervisor Andrew Do leveraged his power to finance extravagant purchases using public funds intended to help our senior community members survive. Residents continue to face skyrocketing rents, evictions, and homelessness, yet Supervisor Do used his position to divert taxpayer dollars towards million-dollar properties for his own family and friends. Supervisor Do has failed the residents of his own District, including the working-class immigrants and refugees of Little Saigon. We reaffirm our call for Supervisor Do to resign.

As news has emerged that the FBI has begun executing search warrants on Supervisor Do’s daughter and people involved in this corruption, we also strongly urge District Attorney Todd Spitzer to investigate the millions in unaccounted-for public funds. As the elected District Attorney of Orange County, he has a responsibility to pursue the truth – especially when it comes to mountains of evidence that point to elected officials’ flagrant corruption.

Statement updated on Thursday, August 22 in light of news of the FBI raids on the homes purchased by Do’s daughter and the VAS president.