(RepublicanJournal.org) – In 2022, Democrat Sheng Thao was elected as the mayor of Oakland, California. She was the first Hmong-American elected to lead a major city. However, she’s also been the subject of much scrutiny, including a recall that she’s facing on this November’s ballot. Now, she can add an FBI raid to the list.
On Thursday, June 20, the FBI raided a home linked to Thao in Oakland. The agents reportedly removed 80 boxes of contents. Her attorney released a statement, saying she is not the intended target of the investigation that led to the raid and she would have cooperated with authorities if given the chance. He also said the mayor “has nothing to hide” and is “ready, willing and able to cooperate fully” moving forward.
Two other homes were also subject to searches on the same day, just three miles away. Those homes are tied to the Duong family, which owns California Waste Solutions, and is tied to several prominent campaign contributions.
A former campaign staffer, Renia Webb, spoke with CBS News and said she’s not surprised that the raid happened. She had previously filed complaints with both the city council and the Public Ethics Commission, but couldn’t provide documentation to back up her claims that Thao’s boyfriend, Andre Jones, was engaged in a pay-to-play scheme. He allegedly promised to appoint some people to positions if they paid up. Webb says these actions led to her resignation shortly after Thao won her election.
Webb also says she was interviewed by the FBI in early 2023 and the subject of questioning revolved around “campaign contributions, [and] about some of the appointments.”
Following the raids, some of Thao’s constituents have called on her to step down. Even officials with the Oakland’s chapter of the NAACP said she should step down. Thao has not made a public statement since the raid.
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