On Thursday, the FBI conducted an early morning raid on Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s residence, as part of a broader operation involving several properties in the city. The federal agents executed court-authorized search warrants at multiple locations, including the mayor’s home on Maiden Lane and other properties linked to prominent local business figures.
The raid on the Oakland Mayor’s home began around 6 a.m., with agents spending several hours inside before emerging with multiple boxes of materials.
The FBI has remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the investigation, stating only to CBS News Bay Area that they were conducting “court-authorized law enforcement activity.”
In addition to the mayor’s residence, federal agents also searched homes in the Oakland Hills and the offices of California Waste Solutions, the city’s curbside recycling provider. The company and its leadership, particularly the Duong family, are reportedly under scrutiny for past campaign contributions to city officials, including Thao during her time as a city council member.
This development comes at a challenging time for Mayor Thao, who is already facing a recall election in November. The raid has intensified scrutiny on her administration, with critics citing concerns over crime rates, the departure of the Oakland A’s baseball team, and other city management issues.
Former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, who was fired by Thao earlier in her tenure, called it “a sad day for the City of Oakland.” He went further to say:
“Oakland is a city in crisis. Crime, violence, shootings, uncontrolled homelessness, unmitigated encampments, the budget deficit and more.
The biggest obstacle to overcoming these crises are the failures of leadership in City Hall. Even before today’s news, some city leaders have done nothing to help–and much to hurt—our city.
Oakland needs leadership with a plan to address public safety, leadership who works with businesses, and leadership that’s prepared to meet our challenges with a vision for the future of Oakland. In this moment we must unite and work together to move our great city forward.”
Political analysts suggest that this FBI investigation could significantly impact the Oakland Mayor’s ability to govern effectively and her chances of surviving the recall effort.