Orange County filed suit against the Viet America Society on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 15, accusing the group’s members of using COVID relief funds for “personal purposes,” including purchasing six properties, including a home in Tustin purchased in 2023 by Rhiannon Do, the daughter of Supervisor Andrew Do.

In the lawsuit, county officials accuse the group, its CEO Peter Pham, Rhiannon Do and other affiliates of, among other things, breach of contract, conspiracy and constructive fraud.

As of 2020, the Viet America Society received more than $10 million in COVID relief funds, largely from Supervisor Do’s discretionary funds. This money was allocated for a nutrition gap program. Do has been publicly criticized for not disclosing that his daughter, Rhiannon Do, has held rotating leadership positions at VAS, but that is not a violation of county policy or state law.

“Instead of using these funds to help the country’s most vulnerable populations, Defendant Viet America Society and its officials and employees brazenly plundered these funds for their own personal gain,” the lawsuit states. “Recognizing the opportunity, Defendants conspired to embezzle pandemic relief funds by entering into contracts they never intended to fulfill and instead using the cash flows as their own personal bank accounts.”

The group has missed several deadlines set by the county to conduct what is known as an individual audit – required because of the involvement of federal funds – to prove that the group properly spent the money to feed seniors living in closed homes during the pandemic.

The county is demanding repayment of about $4.2 million by Aug. 26, and County Attorney Leon Page said in an Aug. 7 letter that his office would recommend legal action to recover the funds if necessary.

Mark Rosen, an attorney for the Viet America Society, said he wanted to read the lawsuit before commenting.

Rosen had already released a letter on Thursday that he said he sent to county officials on Monday, saying the demand to repay the money the group spent to provide services was “excessive and, frankly, outrageous.”

“Every agreed meal was prepared and delivered,” the letter said. “Any deficiencies in reporting were technical deficiencies caused by the unique circumstances of the COVID pandemic.”

This story is developing. Please check back later for updates.