Carlos Bustamante, a former county official who is now accused of sexually assaulting female workers in his office, was the reason for a new county protocol regarding misconduct complaints directed towards human resource departments.

The Bustamante case took law enforcement nearly one year to address and investigate the allegations stated against Bustamante. The complaints were handed off to a law firm that prepared a report that county officials filed away.

After charges against Bustamante were announced in July 2012, the county was criticized for its carelessness in investigating the stated allegations, which spanned eight years.

Now, complaints are directed to a compliance oversight committee. Suppose a complaint is filed involving a high-ranking executive or elected official. In that case, the county will hire an outside law firm or attorney who specializes in workplace issues and complaints involving fraud, misconduct, or sexual harassment.

Presently, Orange County Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly, a former mayor of Anaheim, is investigating alleged sexual misconduct.

County officials supposedly received an anonymous letter from “Concerned County Employees” alleging that “sexual misconduct, favoritism, and cronyism” was going on in Daly's office. The Times, The Voice of OC, a local nonprofit news agency, held the letter and were the first to report it.

The letter, which was five pages long, names several women and states that they received pay raises, promotions, and preferential treatment for no real reason. According to the letter, the staff referred to some women as “Tommy's Girl” or “Tommy's Angels” and had improper sexual relations.

Daly's defense attorney pointed out that the letter was likely politically motivated due to Daly running in the Assembly's 69th district. Additionally, Daly's attorney presented declarations signed by four of the accused women stating that the allegations were untrue.

Investigation continues whether Daly has committed a sex crime.