Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao finds herself embroiled in a legal and public-relations crisis after FBI raids were conducted at her home, along with three other addresses linked to the Duong family, owners of the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions. The raids, which occurred without prior warning last Thursday, have sent shockwaves through the mayor’s office, leading to the resignation of her spokesperson, Francis Zamora.
During her first public address at City Hall following the raids, Mayor Thao fought back tears as she compared her experience to that of other Oakland residents who have had negative encounters with law enforcement. However, notable absences at the address included Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas and other elected officials who have refrained from publicly defending Thao.
The mayor’s decision to hire and subsequently part ways with personal attorney Tony Brass has added to the turmoil. Brass, who gave several interviews on Monday, claimed that Thao had not informed him before delivering her public address. Thao’s representatives, on the other hand, assert that she had already severed ties with Brass over the weekend, prior to her prepared remarks. In her speech, the mayor insinuated, without evidence, that the FBI may be colluding with the ongoing recall campaign against her, as well as local media outlets.
The departure of spokesperson Francis Zamora suggests a potential turnover within Thao’s payroll, a critical support base during this challenging period. Pati Navalta, who briefly served as the mayor’s spokesperson last summer, has stepped in to assist the communications team while a permanent replacement is sought.
With the recall election scheduled for November, Thao faces a race against time to address the legal and public-relations crisis. In her address, she attempted to position herself as the target of radical right-wing forces, despite the recall campaign leader denying any political conservatism. Thao also made references to billionaire opponents, including tech investor Ron Conway, who has contributed to the recall effort. Additionally, she drew comparisons between herself and her predecessor, Libby Schaaf, who is currently under an ethics investigation related to campaign finances.
Asserting her resilience, Thao described herself as a “fighter” and vowed to emerge unscathed from the situation. While she wavered between denying being under federal investigation and insinuating unfair targeting by authorities, the mayor expressed determination not to succumb to the pressure.
1 Response
In my own city, there was a similar scandal involving a prominent local politician and a waste management company. The mayor of our city, let’s call him Mayor Johnson, was found to have close ties with a waste management company that had been awarded a lucrative contract by the city government.
It all started when a local newspaper published an investigative report highlighting the questionable practices of the waste management company. The report alleged that the company had been overcharging the city for its services and had received preferential treatment in