There’s growing pressure for CalOptima to release a corruption probe of disgraced former OC Supervisor Andrew Do, who was sentenced to five years in prison earlier this year for a bribery scheme. 

At least two county supervisors are calling for CalOptima – Orange County’s public health plan for the poor – to publicly release the report.

Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who’s also the vice chair of CalOptima’s board, said he wants to see the investigation released publicly after the rest of the board has had a chance to review it. 

“I will be advocating for the release of the findings to the public,” Sarmiento said in a Wednesday statement. 

OC Supervisor Don Wagner also called for the report’s release again on Wednesday, stating that even if they need to redact sensitive information, the bulk of the investigation should be made public. 

“You can’t just say ‘We’ve done an investigation, there’s nothing to see here,’” Wagner said in a Wednesday interview. “Show us there’s nothing to see here.” 

Sarmiento has read the report, but Wagner has not yet reviewed it. 

CalOptima board Chair Isabel Bacerra and county Supervisor Doug Chaffee, who also sits on the board, did not return requests for comment. 

Their next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 2. 

Supervisor Katrina Foley, who isn’t on the agency’s board, declined to comment. 

Do was a major leader at the agency for years, overseeing the appointment of current CEO Michael Hunn and the hiring of his former aide Veronica Carpenter to be a new chief of staff despite having less than a year’s experience in healthcare administration at the time. 

He also pitched having county supervisors take over the agency back in 2017 before it got shot down by state legislators. 

[Read: OC Supervisors’ Attempted Takeover of CalOptima Health Plan Appears Dead]

Do resigned his board seat in 2023 after a state audit pointed out Hunn’s $840,000 salary and Do was fined $12,000 for trying to steer contracts to campaign donors. 

A year later, Do’s home was raided by the FBI, and he later pleaded guilty to accepting $800,000 in bribes to redirect over $12 million in county contracts – stemming from his work as an Orange County supervisor. 

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

Despite the public concerns around Do’s conduct, there hasn’t been any public discussion on the report. 

CalOptima staff haven’t named the law firm that created the report, or stated what the lawyers were allowed to look at as part of their review. 

Staff have blocked the agency’s board members from making any copies of the report, and required they review the report under the supervision of CalOptima staff at their headquarters. 

“The materials received by the board are confidential work product, and as such, copies cannot be released, though board members can review the materials at the agency,” Sarmiento wrote. “Ensuring a review by board members, protecting privileged information, and respecting our Brown Act obligations is absolutely necessary to ensuring the integrity of the investigative process.”

But not even every board member can see the report.

OC Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who serves as an alternate member on the CalOptima board, was denied the opportunity to read through the record. 

Nguyen declined to comment on the report. 

The report is the first completed investigation into Do’s conduct. 

While county officials announced their plans to do more internal reviews, there hasn’t been much news on them since then. 

Wagner defended the county’s process, pointing to several reforms like changes to their contract policy manual and noting the county has a lot more records to review. 

“The county has been aggressively pursuing it,” Wagner said. “I am not uncomfortable with the time it’s taking for the county to do all this stuff and to do it right.” 

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