Orange County Board Approves Audit of Contracts

In response to former Supervisor Andrew Do's guilty plea to bribery involving over $10 million in federal pandemic relief funds, the Orange County Board of Supervisors has approved an external audit of select contracts spanning from January 2019 to August 2024. The audit will specifically focus on contracts managed by the County Executive Office, Health Care Agency, OC Community Resources, and Social Services Agency. Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability, aiming to determine whether Do's actions were isolated incidents or indicative of broader issues within county governance. The audit firm is expected to investigate vendor selection processes and compliance with county policies, with findings to be presented publicly. Furthermore, the supervisors have adopted a policy to ensure ethical contracting practices, with penalties for violations. This move marks a significant shift towards increased oversight in the wake of the corruption scandal.