Star Chamber is a term that you use when referring to secretive, arbitrary hearings and procedures. It has become the modus operandi for the Trump administration, and now Orange County government–specifically the OC Board of Supervisors and the Fullerton City Council–has apparently decided to give it a try. They picked a really bad time to do so. Not only is confidence in the federal government–especially the judiciary and legislature–at an all-time low, but governance in Orange County has come under considerable suspicion.

We’ve all read, or should have read, about Supervisor Andrew Do’s embezzlement of public funds and Fred Jung’s exaggerated claims regarding his tenure as Fullerton’s mayor. Jung was given a right padding at a recent city council meeting, and deservedly so. His claim of having built nine parks, for example, is as ludicrous as Trump’s claim that he has stopped eight wars.  But things have now advanced to the point where even county officials are having their mics cut off when attempting to speak at board meetings–specifically, Todd Spitzer’s appearance before the Orange County Board of Supervisors on the county budget during the Tuesday, June 23, 2026 meeting.

It’s generally bad form to treat the county’s District Attorney as an unwelcome interloper, but that’s precisely what the Board did. According to an excellent article by Voice of OC reporter Norberto Santana Jr., titled “OC District Attorney Lambasts Supervisors For Silencing Public Debate On Budget,” Spitzer had his mic cut as he was addressing the Board. He was quoted as saying,  “Our employees rely on a budget process that builds credibility and morale…Let’s have a robust discussion in public about our budget.” And that was when he was cut off. This was not a one-time occurrence.

At a Board meeting the week before, County Treasurer/Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich was also cut off when she attempted to address the budget issue. “I am also concerned by the lack of transparency in this year’s budget process,” she wrote in a statement afterward. “Unlike prior years, the budget materials do not fully present the TTC’s s requested staffing and budget recommendations in a manner that allows the public to evaluate the differences between the Department’s request and the CEO’s recommendation.”

So it seems that the Board of Supervisors wanted to rush through their budget with a token effort to solicit comments. Spitzer agreed, saying that outgoing Board head Michelle Aguirre told him that the decision to 86 public comments came from the supervisors themselves. “She told me the board doesn’t want to have a public discussion,” Spitzer said. And this sounds uncomfortably like the Fullerton City Council’s recent cancellation of a public meeting at the last moment, as well as their decision to hold a meeting regarding solid waste management proposals on June 30 at 4:00 pm–a time when most people who would wish to comment would still be at work or occupied with family.

For perspective, city council meetings usually start at 5:30 pm.  Secrecy is a very bad look when you’re already under scrutiny for budget shortfalls and missing funds. Cutting off public officials when they attempt to address these issues is even more suspect. When Santana asked Spitzer if he considered the Board’s behavior towards him and Freidenrich a violation of the Brown Act–the law that stipulates meetings must be open to the public–Spitzer responded that, “You raise a super interesting question. I need to contemplate.”

The Brown Act is unequivocal on this point. According to Wikipedia, “it requires local government agencies to conduct their deliberations and actions openly. It mandates public access to meetings, advance notice of agendas, and opportunities for public participation, while strictly prohibiting secret gatherings and ‘serial meetings.’”

In other words–no star chambers. And especially no pissing off county government officials who have legitimate questions about specific funding issues. Basically, this is the adult version of saying “Neener neener neener” over and over and hoping your inquisitor will simply get fed up and go away. Todd Spitzer is not one to just go away. And it’s clear from his comments during and afterward that the Board of Supervisors will regret giving him the bum’s rush at that hearing.