Orange County's chief executive officer could be terminated in response to allegations that a former county administrator sexually harassed at least seven women over the span of eight years on and around government property.

In a memo Thursday, Board of Supervisors Chairman John Moorlach requested a special closed session on Friday to discuss the possible discipline or termination of Tom Mauk and the appointment of an interim county executive officer.

The move comes after Carlos Bustamante, a Santa Ana city councilman and former administrator in the county public works department, was charged this week with 12 felonies, including stalking, attempted sexual battery by restraint and six counts of false imprisonment.

Moorlach would not discuss the reasons for the session, citing the Brown Act, but said "there could be a correlation" between the allegations and the agenda items.

"We just need some time for the five of us to discuss personnel matters," he said of himself and the other supervisors. He also noted that Mauk, 68, is near retirement age.

Prosecutors allege that Bustamante, 47, used his power as an administrator in the county's public works department to intimidate women.

He is accused of luring employees into his office under the pretense of discussing work-related matters, then sexually assaulting them.

The investigation into Bustamante's behavior was sparked by an anonymous letter sent to supervisors last fall. Lawyers hired by the county, along with an internal auditor, investigated the allegations. In October, Bustamante resigned from his county post, and in March, Bustamante's supervisor, Jess Carbajal, was placed on paid administrative leave.

That same month, supervisors asked the Orange County district attorney's office to investigate, which culminated in Bustamante's arrest Monday.

Read more at LATimes.com.