The Political Landscape:

Orange County Supervisors will take a second look at stripping county Treasurer Chriss Street of his investment powers next week, after they opted not to in September.

When supervisors meet Tuesday, they’ll consider a list of tighter controls for the treasurer’s office, from daily reports to ensure investments jibe with county policies, to putting the investment portfolio and treasurer’s 14 employees under control of the county’s chief financial officer.

Street is reportedly under investigation by county and federal prosecutors and other agencies for several issues, and he’s the subject of a lawsuit alleging he mismanaged a corporate bankruptcy trust. County Supervisor John Moorlach, a former supporter who helped Street get elected in 2006, asked the treasurer to resign because of the investigations, but Street refused and has denied wrongdoing.

Two county architectural employees are on leave during a county investigation into an allegedly falsified document, signed by Street, that describes bids to renovate the outside of the treasurer’s building, and now officials are questioning how Street divided up more than $300,000 in contracts to redo the treasurer’s offices.

State law requires public agencies to put contracts worth more than $5,000 through a bidding process to ensure the best value.

“It was all divided in these tiny little contracts that just do not make sense,” said Mario Mainero, Moorlach’s chief of staff. “Suddenly we’ve got 42 of these things that are under $5,000.”

Officials have said the county investment pool is not in danger. If supervisors vote to strip Street of his control over investments, the measure would become effective Nov. 26.

 Rep. defends friend, Blackwater president

A national controversy over Iraq security contractor Blackwater drew Rep. Dana Rohrabacher to defend his longtime friend who runs the company. Rohrabacher spoke in defense of company president Erik Prince this week, a man who in the early ’90s was an intern for the congressman.

Blackwater has come under public scrutiny after a Sept. 16 shooting in which its military contractors are accused by the Iraqi government of killing 17 unarmed civilians. The FBI is investigating the incident. But Rohrabacher said congressional hearings on the role of military contractors were politically motivated.