Audit: Orange County botched Carlos Bustamante sexual harassment probe, took a year to get to DA

Orange County DA's office

Santa Ana City Councilman Carlos Bustamante was arrested July 2 in the parking lot outside of the Santa Ana City Council meeting by the Orange County District Attorney's Office (OCDA) Bureau of Investigation, who investigated the case.

An internal audit shows Orange County officials botched the sexual harassment investigation of former public works executive Carlos Bustamante.

Bustamante was arrested in July on charges of sexual assault, false imprisonment, stalking and battery of seven female county employees over an eight-year period.

The audit shows there were many complaints against Bustamante, but it was a year before the case was sent to the district attorney's office, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Prosecutors say Bustamante called women into his office under the pretense of discussing work and then hugged, kissed and groped them — and sometimes masturbated in front of them.

The audit says the county investigation was poorly handled. The probe itself violated workplace policy and put the county at risk of being sued.