Orange County residents could soon get a close look at the county’s health plan for the poor after CalOptima’s board members unanimously voted to release a corruption investigation into the agency’s inner workings. 

The probe came after former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for rerouting over $10 million in pandemic contracts at the county government – getting sentenced to five years in prison.  

[Read: Former OC Supervisor Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison in Bribery Scheme]

Now, county residents will find out on Oct. 30 whether or not Do committed any wrongdoing while he was on CalOptima’s board, a position he held for years amid questions on whether he was improperly trying to take over the agency. 

Supervisor Andrew Do during a groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 8, 2021. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

Do hasn’t served on CalOptima’s board since 2023, when he resigned after he was fined $12,000 for engaging in pay to play politics in an attempt to steer contracts to his campaign donors and a state audit called out the agency’s growing $1.2 billion stockpile of cash. 

[Read: State Auditor Found $1.2 Billion Laying Around at OC’s Health Plan For the Poor] 

That stockpile has since increased to $1.8 billion. 

Before his departure, Do served as chair of the board and played a major role in policy, helping hire CEO Michael Hunn on an $840,000 salary that faced public questioning from auditors and hiring his former deputy chief of staff Veronica Carpenter for a new role at the agency. 

Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

It’s unclear what records or documents investigators from the law firm Bird & Marella reviewed in connection with Do or the agency’s working as a whole. 

But CalOptima spokesperson Janis Rizzuto confirmed the report would be released on Oct. 30 unless the agency received a judicial order ordering them to keep it confidential. 

As part of the release, board members also voted to waive any legal privilege surrounding the report’s creation, meaning residents will eventually get to see reports of their conversations behind closed doors about the investigation. 

While county leaders haven’t yet started their own outside investigation into Do, they did just select an auditor who will review over $4 billion worth of contracts the board approved while Do was there.

Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who took over Do’s seat in the 2024 election and serves as an alternate board member for CalOptima, said she is now “anxiously awaiting” the report’s public release in a Thursday evening statement. 

“While I appreciate the board for supporting the release of the audit report on Andrew Do’s scheme at CalOptima, it is unfortunate that it wasn’t immediately released today,” Nguyen wrote. “I will seek to correct any additional wrongdoing that has not been brought to light and seek for the release to be given to the DA, DOJ and or AG if there are any possible criminal acts.” 

Noah Biesiada is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at nbiesiada@voiceofoc.org.

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