O.C. Supervisors approve victim impact statement for Andrew Do sentencing

Orange County supervisors Tuesday approved a victim impact statement for the federal judge to consider in the sentencing of former Supervisor Andrew Do, who pleaded guilty to bribery.

The board voted 3-1 for the letter with Supervisor Don Wagner dissenting and Chairman Doug Chaffee abstaining.

Wagner objected to adding the resolution the board approved earlier this month asking for federal and state prosecutors to review the plea deal for Do, which they said was too lenient with a maximum punishment of 5 years.

Chaffee also echoed concerns about how attaching the resolution would send conflicting messages to U.S. District Judge James Selna.

“I want the maximum sentence, and I think this detracts from that possibility,” Chaffee said.

Wagner argued that the resolution and the victim impact statement “serve two very different purposes. ... By attaching the resolution we’re diminishing the impact statement. We are somehow again saying to the court we believe what we’re trying to do as the victim here is not being served by the prosecutors and you, the judge. ... It’s terribly inappropriate for us to do it.”

Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who sponsored the resolution, objected to how she felt county attorneys watered down the victim impact statement and wouldn’t support it unless the resolution calling for a review of the plea deal was attached.

“This, to me, is offensive and it is wrong,” Nguyen said, arguing the victim impact statement is weaker than the resolution.

That prompted Vice Chair Katrina Foley to suggest attaching the resolution to the victim impact statement.

Foley did not share the concerns of Wagner and Chaffee, saying the victims could really just say what they want in a statement to the judge.

Foley also emphasized, “I believe the (Department of Justice) and the (District Attorney) did a good job” on the plea deal. “I am not questioning the integrity (of the agreement).”

Foley agreed with Nguyen that it was appropriate to list all of the potential charges Do could have faced if he had not agreed to plead guilty.

Do is scheduled to be sentenced June 9.

Do’s attorney, Paul Meyer, said, “It is inappropriate to make comment before sentencing.” Meyer earlier characterized the resolution as a “blatant attempt to assert political influence in a federal matter,” and added it was “reprehensible.”

On April 14, U.S. District Judge James Selna approved a forfeiture order for Do that includes the former supervisor paying $1,702,640.86 from one bank account and $724,749.10 from another as well as giving up property at 14732 Candeda Place in Tustin and another property at 2410 W. 17th St. in Santa Ana.

Do pleaded guilty to a felony federal bribery conspiracy charge on Oct. 31. His attorney worked out a deal that puts a five-year lid on Do’s time behind bars.

Do admitted in his plea agreement that in exchange for more than $550,000 in bribes, he cast votes starting in 2020 that directed more than $10 million in COVID-relief funds to the Viet America Society, where his daughter Rhiannon worked, according to federal prosecutors.

Do faces up to five years in prison and his daughter, Rhiannon Do, will be placed in a diversion program as part of the plea deal.