An organization headed by the 22-year-old daughter of Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do received several million dollars from the county. The operation was disguised using various shell entities. The county now says that much of this money was used as a personal piggy bank and never served the citizens for whom it was intended.
Andrew Do couldn’t do this alone. The scheme couldn’t work without Frank Kim (then CEO) and Lilly Simmering (deputy CEO). They have since left county government. But one key collaborator, Dylan Wright (Director of OC Community Resources) still rules over 1000 employees and 750 million dollars in the county budget.
We’ll review a few elements of ’s participation in the Andrew Do – Viet America scheme.
When county frontline staff objected to giving a contract to Viet America Society, Dylan Wright overruled them without explanation, as Nick Gerda documented in LAist. Staff wrote that they had “serious concerns about issuing a contract to this organization that appears to be a home based business and can’t verify their non-profit status” but this did not matter to Dylan Wright.
When Supervisor Andrew Do’s 22-year old daughter (still a student) contacted the county looking for grants, documents revealed by Norberto Santana in Voice of OC show what happened. Once Dylan Wright found out that “She is one of Supervisor Do’s daughters” he pulled together senior managers including his deputy, Cymantha Atkinson, to pitch in. Dylan Wright wrote: “I believe there are also additional funds for the ENP program anticipated from the California Department on Aging”. He was eager to find as much money as possible for the Supervisor’s daughter,
In other documents revealed in the same Voice of OC article we see county executives panicking when, thanks to contract staff enforcing the rules, Viet America failed to get yet another county contract. “Dylan [Wright] and I have a plan” said Lilly Simmering. We would love to know what this nefarious plan was. Lilly Simmering quietly resigned in the midst of these revelations. Dylan Wright did not.
On November 9, 2023, LAist’s Nick Gerda sent the county a list of questions on the corrupt contracts. The upper echelons of the county surely knew they were in trouble. On November 22, LAist revealed that Andrew Do helped direct millions to his daughter’s center. Nick Gerda’s repeated request for OC public records was entered into the county’s public-records system on November 27. Later that same day, Frank Kim unexpectedly announced his resignation as CEO. He said nothing about the erupting scandal, but his timing speaks volumes.
Frank Kim’s resignation did not take effect immediately. In his remaining months, Frank Kim continued to treat the whole scandal as nothing more than mislaid paperwork. In this attempted coverup, he enlisted Dylan Wright, the very manager who enabled and approved some of the corrupt contracts. Frank Kim and Dylan Wright spent 8 months giving extension after extension to these organizations but couldn’t explain what happened to the taxpayer’s money.
In May 2024, for example, Dylan Wright conferred with Frank Kim, Lilly Simmering, and Cymantha Atkinson to grant yet another extension to Viet America Society. It’s like the fox guarding the henhouse.
Last year, Dylan Wright received $420,000 in pay and benefits. How is he doing in other county services under his authority?
Readers who follow the OC animal shelter’s troubles know that Dylan Wright appointed and protected unqualified directors who threw away the shelter’s Strategic Plan. The shelter is way below industry standards in frontline staff. Yet, at the August 13 Board meeting, Dylan Wright submitted fabricated claims to the contrary. Andrew Do pitched in with obscure technical arguments and his vote in support of Dylan Wright.
Frank Kim stayed until July. Lilly Simmering until September. Dylan Wright is still there. County government seems to be leaving the culprits in charge for as long as it can. This tactic damages county services. It also multiplies the citizens’ suspicion that the scandal is much bigger than we’ve been told.
Michael Mavrovouniotis retired from a career in scientific research, education, and investment management.
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