The former councilman had a controversial tenure in public office, known as a staunch advocate of Disneyland resort interests and the controversial and ill-fated attempt to sell off Angel Stadium.
Author Archives: Brandon Pho
As a Voice of OC reporter, Brandon Pho covered north/central Orange County, as well as broader regional issues around law enforcement, transportation, the environment, the OC Fair and Little Saigon.
He joined in 2018 as an intern, shedding light on turmoil and corruption claims in Westminster and uncovering a now-fired OC Fair executive’s suspect fundraising relationship with a nearby, private Christian college that the Fair had sponsored with public money.
Later, he published a number of investigative stories on local law enforcement agencies; detailed political jockeying around a controversial seawater desalting plant proposal in Huntington Beach; narrated a racial reckoning inside one of the county’s largest school districts; and tracked various quality of life issues across the region.
Before Voice of OC, Brandon worked as a reporter and editor at Cal State Fullerton’s independent student newspaper, the Daily Titan, and won a number of accolades for his reporting in 2018, including a 1st and 2nd place Los Angeles Press Club award and 1st place national College Media Association award.
While at Voice of OC, Brandon was a member of Report for America, a national network of local reporters committed to bolstering democracy throughout the U.S.
Posted inSanta Ana
Santa Ana Police Chief to Retire Amidst City Hall Tumult
In his retirement letter, Police Chief David Valentin said his tenure should be an example to city officials to stand up against police union interests.
Posted inGovernment
Can You Really Reform Orange County’s City Halls From the Inside?
Elected officials who challenge the status quo across Orange County city halls – in places with small budgets like Cypress and as big as Anaheim and Irvine – often face pushback from their colleagues.
Posted inAnaheim
When the Building Trades Align With Anaheim’s Shadow Government
A workforce union that can relate to Anaheim’s working-class needs was instead called out for its involvement in a big-business cadre controlling City Hall from the shadows.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Santa Ana Sees a City Council Fight Over Rent Control Law on the Horizon
A discussion by some council members over how to protect the city’s rent control law led to a debate about the city charter and possibly amending it. Now, a fight over the issue is on the horizon.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
In Reversal, State Holds Off on Approval of Needle Exchange in Santa Ana After City Hall Objections
That doesn’t mean the syringe program in Santa Ana – run by the Harm Reduction Institute – has been thrown out entirely.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County’s Police Unions Are Increasingly Electing, Unseating Their Own Bosses
Whether it’s the county Deputy Sheriff’s union or police unions in big cities like Santa Ana or Anaheim, spending on local elections is soaring, testing the balance between freedom of expression and accountability.
Posted inAnaheim
Winds of Reform Spark in Anaheim Along With Council Tension During Corruption Probe Fallout
On Tuesday night, Anaheim’s mayor broke what to some residents felt like a months-long silence – and sent a message to her colleagues that she won’t shelve City Hall’s corruption crisis.
Posted inAnaheim
Are Anaheim Community Activists Out-Organizing City Hall on Corruption Reform?
At 6 p.m. tomorrow, activists and former city council members are expected to gather at the Ponderosa Family Resource Center to discuss a public corruption scandal at City Hall.
Posted inGovernment
Is Anaheim a Cue for More Cities to Start Registering Lobbyists?
If a city with one of the most robust public lobbying disclosures can still find itself under the FBI’s lens and an independent corruption probe, what does that say about cities without such rules?
