Two months after being recalled as Oakland’s mayor, Sheng Tao was reportedly indicted on criminal charges by a federal grand jury. It was a major blow to a struggling Bay Area city already reeling from crime, homelessness and complaints from residents that the government is ineffective.
The indictment was reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, which cited anonymous sources and did not provide details of the charges. U.S. prosecutors declined to comment on the report, but officials said they planned to announce “significant law enforcement actions” on Friday.
Thao was sworn in as mayor in January 2023 amid a wave of enthusiastic press detailing her rise from a homeless single mother and her position as one of the country’s most prominent Hmong elected officials. She was recalled in November as crime fears rocked the city and restaurants including In-N-Out and Denny’s closed local locations citing safety concerns.
Tao did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rumors of a corruption investigation involving Tao have been swirling since June, and the FBI searched her home just as recall supporters collected enough signatures to qualify for the vote.
On the same day Tao’s home was searched, investigators also executed a warrant at the Oakland office of Cal Waste Solutions, an Oakland recycling service. Agents also searched the homes of David Duong, the company’s chief executive, and Andy Duong, the son of a purchasing manager who handles public relations for the company. The company issued a statement at the time expressing surprise at the raid and denying any involvement in any illegal activity.
Separate from the FBI investigation, the Oakland Public Ethics Commission and the state Fair Political Practices Commission suspect members of the Duong family used “straw donors” to circumvent donation limits and strengthen local officials’ campaigns. is being investigated. Mr. Tao is one of the politicians financed by the family.
The Duongs have not been charged with any crime and deny making any illegal political contributions.
Last summer, Mr. Tao said in a fiery press conference that he was not a target of the investigation.
“I want to be transparent. I did nothing wrong,” she said in a tearful speech days after FBI agents gathered at her home and left with the box. spoke. “I can say with confidence that this investigation is not about me.”
At the time, she also had doubts about the FBI’s tactics.
“If I had been rich, if I had gone to an elite private school, if I had grown up with money, none of this would have happened,” she says.
Federal officials have been tight-lipped about the investigation, but some say it is wide-ranging. Radio station KQED reported this week that the FBI on Wednesday raided the home of a city councilman near San Leandro who was traveling to Vietnam with Thao and others on a 2023 trip sponsored by an organization affiliated with the Duong family.
On Thursday, news of the indictment circulated through Oakland’s close-knit and divided political circles.
Candidates to replace Mr. Thao in the April special election prompted by the recall denounced the recall as a blow to their city.
Renya Webb, a former aide to Mr. Tao, said she testified before a federal grand jury on Dec. 12. She said she also spoke with FBI agents about allegations of corruption in the city. “I told a lot of people,” she added. “No one wanted to hear it.”
Ms. Webb declined to share a copy of the subpoena or reveal what she knew of any criminal charges authorities may be investigating.
“My first reaction is the devastation in Oakland,” said Lauren Teyer, an engineer who served on the East Oakland City Council for four years and lost to Tao in the 2022 mayoral race. “It’s unfortunate that corruption is in the news again.”
Former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, a prominent Democrat who has represented the East Bay in Congress for more than 20 years, also announced her candidacy for mayor.
“The news of possible criminal charges is devastating for Oakland,” Lee said Thursday. “Every individual is entitled to constitutional protections and the presumption of innocence, but this news and the recent recall election highlight the need for a fresh start in Oakland. It is worth fully understanding the nature of the potential charges and the parameters of any ongoing or future investigation.”
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