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MAGA Michelle Steel’s Ties to Corrupt Andrew Do Resurface Contributions from Another FBI Target for Corruption – the Duong Family
MAGA Michelle Steel’s Ties to Corrupt Andrew Do Resurface Contributions from Another FBI Target for Corruption – the Duong Family
Garden Grove, CA - Reports have resurfaced about the thousands MAGA Michelle Steel has accepted from the disgraced Duong family, the subject of a federal probe, due to the recent guilty plea deal for bribery and corruption of her longtime political ally Andrew Do. According to reports, the Duong family funneled millions into various campaigns, including Trump’s 2020 reelection. Michelle Steel’s acceptance of their tainted money underscores her ongoing corruption and unethical behavior. This news follows reports from the Wall Street Journal and Orange County Register that Rep. Steel's husband and business partner, Shawn Steel, was caught peddling political access to the Chinese Communist Party.
“Michelle Steel’s acceptance of money from a family under federal investigation for illegal campaign contributions is unsurprising given her longstanding support for criminal Andrew Do,” said Derek Tran. “The people of California’s 45th District deserve better than a representative who is bought and paid for by corrupt donors.”
A 2021 report revealed Andy Duong’s scheme of reimbursing donors to circumvent contribution limits, exemplifying their blatant disregard for the law. This corruption mirrors the actions of Shawn Steel, who, according to the Wall Street Journal and Orange County Register, facilitated access for donors with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars being funneled into Trump’s re-election campaign in exchange for political influence. The money Shawn Steel made peddling influence has found its way into Michelle Steel's campaign coffers through her massive self-loans.
This revelation comes on the heels of recent polling from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that shows Derek Tran leading MAGA Republican Michelle Steel by three points. As the November elections approach, Derek Tran stands poised to flip this key district from red to blue, riding a wave of support for his pragmatic platform and commitment to middle-class families.
Michelle Steel’s unwavering support for admitted criminal Andrew Do is well-documented, with numerous public statements lauding his “leadership” and “character.” When news broke in August of an FBI investigation into the Orange County Supervisor and Michelle Steel endorser, Steel’s spokesperson declined to answer the Orange County Register’s questions about Do, including if Steel had recently been in contact with him. Do, who will serve five years and forfeit millions as part of his plea agreement for bribery and corruption, and Steel have been allies for years, raising serious concerns about her judgment. Below are just a few examples of Steel’s effusive praise for Do over the years:
Michelle Steel Praise For Andrew Do
December 2021: Steel referred to Do as a “key endorsement.” [Michelle Steel for US Congress, 12/2021]
June 2019: Steel endorsed Do, saying, “Andrew Do’s talent, energy and compassion shine through all of his accomplishments as Orange County Supervisor. He cares deeply about our families and will continue to make great strides towards focusing on our homeless, keeping us safe and standing up for policies which promote a growing economy to provide good jobs.” [Andrew Do for Orange County Supervisor via Internet Archive, 6/11/19]
June 2019: Steel endorsed Do, saying, “Andrew Do’s talent, energy and compassion shine through all of his accomplishments as Orange County Supervisor.” [Facebook, Andrew Do for Supervisor 2020, 6/11/19]
June 2019: Steel referred to Do as one “of the district’s most influential leaders.” [Michelle Steel for US Congress, 6/2019]
May 2019: Steel referred to Do as one of “Orange County’s Top Vietnamese Leaders.” [Michelle Steel for US Congress, 5/2019]
January 2015: Steel “was proudly there moments ago to see Andrew Do sworn in as her new colleague!” [Twitter, @FlashReport, 1/30/15]
2014: Do touted Steel’s endorsement in his ballot statement. [Orange County Registrar of Voters, Accessed 8/31/24]
December 2014: “‘Orange County is facing a lot of change, to keep the County moving in the right direction we are going to need leaders who will represent the people and their values. We need Andrew Do on the Board of Supervisors,’ said Steel. ‘Andrew Do has the qualifications and the drive to be a great representative. He knows the issues facing his community and he knows how to lead. Andrew has my full support.’” [Andrew Do for County Supervisor via Internet Archive, 12/11/14]
Andrew Do Praise For Michelle Steel
June 2019: “I’m so proud to have OC Supervisor Michelle Steel’s endorsement. Michelle Steel is on the ground in our communities and truly understands what Orange County communities need and expect from their leaders.” [Andrew Do for Orange County Supervisor via Internet Archive, 6/11/19]
May 2019: “Michelle Steel is a tireless representative who understands our issues, fights for our values, and delivers positive results for Orange County.” [Michelle Steel for US Congress, 5/2019]
As a reminder, Michelle Steel’s personal involvement in Orange County corruption scandals runs deep, stemming back to her tenure on the Orange County Board of Supervisors alongside Andrew Do:
Steel’s former college and endorser, Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do, has been called to resign after the FBI raided the home of Do’s daughter— reportedly linked to the controversial misallocation of millions of dollars in county funds to a nonprofit organization she led.
In 2022, the Orange County Grand Jury found that Michelle Steel tried to direct the sale of public land to a wealthy campaign donor and detailed her damning involvement in the effort.
In Congress, Steel voted against legislation to help America compete with Chinese manufacturing – while her husband notoriously toured known Chinese Communist Party agents around an invitation-only meeting with Republican leaders.
In 2020, while she was running for Congress and still serving on the OC Board of Supervisors, Steel was “called out” for accepting campaign contributions from a private jet company that was bidding for a long-term contract at John Wayne Airport.
In 2018, Steel voted to remove any independent oversight of Orange County Supervisors’ actions, county finances, and the Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney’s Office practices.
In 2015, Steel opposed creating an Orange County campaign finance and ethics commission, calling the effort a “symbolic gesture,” and was the sole vote against putting the initiative on a ballot.
Steel has a long, shady history of greenlighting sweetheart deals on land sales and airport contracts for private jet use beneficial to her wealthy campaign donors.
During her time in Congress, Michelle Steel has consistently voted against the interests of her community while relying on funding from Big Oil, gun lobbyists, and anti-abortion extremists. Despite her claims of representing middle-class values, Steel has opposed measures to lower prescription drug costs, including voting against capping the price of insulin. She voted against common-sense gun safety legislation such as raising the age to buy semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21 and against enhanced background checks– a slap in the face to her constituents who have been devastated by the scourge of mass shootings. Further distancing herself from the needs of Orange County, she voted against a bill to strengthen U.S. competitiveness and bring jobs home, and against the bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection. Steel’s fealty to the MAGA Right knows no bounds– even going so far as to apologize to GOP supporters for working on a bipartisan bill to condemn hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Contact: press@derektranforcongress.com
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Army Veteran Derek Tran is a DCCC Red To Blue candidate running in California’s 45th Congressional District which encompasses portions of Orange and Los Angeles Counties in Southern California. A majority-minority district, the District has the second largest AAPI population (36.97%) of any Congressional District, and the largest Vietnamese community in the country. President Biden won the current district lines by +6 points and it has a +6 point Democratic registration advantage. It includes all or part of the Cities of Garden Grove, Westminster, Cerritos, Buena Park, Placentia, Hawaiian Gardens, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Artesia, Los Alamitos, La Palma, Brea, Lakewood, and Fullerton, as well as the unincorporated community of Rossmoor.
Use of Derek Tran's military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Dept. of Defense or U.S. Army.