Tyler “Triple” Diep Learned His Tricks From Van Tran

The Voice of OC reported today that Westminster Councilman Tyler Diep has been triple dipping on public medical benefits. Diep, who was elected to the Westminster City Council in 2008, also serves as a Board Member of the Midway City Sanitation District. Diep is also a member of Board of Equalization Member Michelle Steel’s staff. Mr. Diep has been taking medical benefits from all three organizations.

In Westminster, he takes advantage of a city-sponsored cafeteria plan, taking home $11,839.20 in cash in lieu of purchasing health insurance. And he collects $878.28 through the Midway Sanitary District for what he says is dental coverage only.

As you may recall, it was Tyler Diep who drafted and submitted an open letter to the Vietnamese community on behalf of himself and two other Council members regarding the Black April recognition ceremony controversy. That letter was drafted on a Board of Equalization computer.

In August of 2007 it we discovered that Councilman Diep had attempted to interfere with police department enforcement of city and state regulations at a restaurant that he and his friend Councilman Andy Quach, frequented and that Quach’s attorney represents. TheLiberalOC was able to acquire the audio and published it in the post “Tyler Diep Unplugged.”

What has yet to be reported is that prior to working for Michelle Steel at the Board of Equalization Diep was a district representative for Assemblyman Van Tran. Diep was even able to take a leave of absence from Assemblyman Tran’s staff in the spring of 2008 to run Garden Grove Councilmember Dina Nguyen’s unsuccessful bid for First District Supervisor. Assemblyman Van Tran was a major supporter of Dina Nguyen and inexplicably Diep was able to sustain himself while on that leave without any visible, or reported, financial compensation.

So Councilman Diep had been double dipping before he was elected to the Westminster City Council. So how did Tyler “Triple” Diep learn all of these tricks? Who taught him what to do? Well, I think I’ve got an idea who that genious is.

Assemblyman Van Tran has proven to be a kingpin when it comes to living on the public dime. Tran has pocketed more than $137,000 in tax-free, tax payer funded per diem to cover his out of district living expenses while in Sacramento. The problem is that he lives permanently in a 2,658 -square-foot, three car garage, home in Sacramento with his wife and two children. He claims to still live at home with his parents in for the purpose of showing a residence in his Assembly district.

Assemblyman Van Tran was almost arrested for interfering with the Westminster police officers investigating the DUI accident involving Tran’s campaign fundraiser and Westminster City Councilman Andy Quach.

So is it really any wonder that Van Tran protageTyler Diep is triple dipping on medical benefits? He’s only doing what his mentor taught him.