The Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice, raided the residence of Oakland’s mayor. The local press captured the incident live in the wake of the mayor’s recall vote.
In the early morning hours of Thursday, June 20, 2023, a house belonging to Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was raided by the FBI. The FBI raid is a series of organized searches in a Californian investigation. The FBI raided two other buildings during their operation.
FBI agents removed boxes from the four-bedroom home at 80 Maiden Lane, where the mayor is residing. When the press asked the reason behind the raid, Francis Zamora, Thao spokesman, requested that they direct the question to the FBI.
Speaking on the incident, Thao’s neighbor, Maribel Sainex, said that the FBI had arrived at the home at 6 in the morning. She said she was working after she heard loud and continuously banging sounds in a quiet environment.
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When the FBI was reached to address the incident, the agency spokeswoman, Cameron Polan, released a statement. According to Polan, the FBI had conducted a court-mandated search of the home, and the officers remained for over 3 hours. Despite several requests, Palon did not disclose any additional information.
Additionally, the FBI had also carried out searches at two other locations, about 3 miles south of Median Lane. The other two locations were homes belonging to members of the Duong family.
The Duong are a politically connected family that owns Cal Waste Solutions, a recycling company. In 2020, Oaklandside reported an investigation into the firm’s spokeswoman’s contributions to Thao and other city officials.
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The Chronicle reported documents indicating that Andy Duong is the owner of one property and David and Linda Duong are associated with the other. Personal phone numbers for the Duong family members were not located, and Cal Waste Solutions representatives did not respond to emails or texts requesting comment on the raid.
What exactly provoked the raid is unknown. When contacted for comment, Thao and her team did not respond right away. Although they acknowledged the presence of federal officers at Thao’s residence, the Department of Justice would not elaborate.
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On Monday, June 17, 2024, the city clerk’s office confirmed enough valid signatures for the recall vote in November 2024.
Following a term on the Oakland City Council, Thao took office in January 2023 and has faced challenges from increased crime and fiscal issues. With enough signatures gathered to be eligible for the ballot, her critics will be voting on her recall in November.
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