World Courant
Former Oakland, California, Mayor Sheng Thao, who was recalled by voters in November, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on corruption prices.
Along with Thao, the Justice Division charged her boyfriend, Andre Jones; the top of an area waste firm, David Trung Duong; and Duong’s son, Andy Hung Duong.
In October 2022, Thao allegedly agreed to increase a metropolis recycling companies contract with California Waste Options, buy housing items from the Duongs and use her affect to assist them.
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Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao stands along with her lawyer after being indicted on corruption prices. (KTVU)
“Examples of guarantees allegedly made by Thao included her settlement to buy housing items from an organization owned by the Duong household, her settlement to make sure the extension of a contract for recycling companies that the Metropolis of Oakland had with one among David and Andy Duong’s corporations and her settlement to make use of affect to assist appoint a high-level metropolis official to profit the Duongs’ enterprise pursuits,” mentioned U.S. Legal professional Patrick Robbins.
The Duongs made funds to Thao and Jones, together with funding a $75,000 destructive mailer marketing campaign focusing on her political rivals, Fox San Francisco reported. The Duongs additionally made $300,000 in funds to Thao and Jones disguised as wages for a no-show job for Jones, federal prosecutors mentioned.
The funds had been made to look as if Jones had a legit job with the Duongs’ housing firm to cowl up the bribery, in line with courtroom paperwork.
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Andre Jones, who can be charged within the indictment (KTVU)
After getting elected, Thao fulfilled her promise to make use of her affect to nominate an Oakland metropolis official, chosen by the Duongs, to guard the household’s enterprise investments, authorities mentioned.
“The indictment itself is chock-full of allegations, however it isn’t chock-full of proof,” Thao’s lawyer mentioned Friday.
The fees got here months after the FBI raided a house linked to Thao.
Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, who was recalled final yr, faces corruption prices. (Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle through Getty Pictures)
In an announcement to Fox San Francisco, Winston Chan, an lawyer for Andy Duong, mentioned the allegations towards his shopper don’t have any advantage.
“We’ve got saved quiet regardless of the media frenzy of the previous months within the hope that the federal government would accurately come to see via goal investigation that the allegations are baseless and being fanned by nothing greater than gossip and supposition stitched collectively by the fabrications and delusions of those that lack all basic credibility,” mentioned Chan.
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“However, disappointingly, Andy as a substitute is right this moment the latest in a protracted line of Asian People who unfairly are singled out and compelled to pay a value for daring to be lively within the political sphere,” he added. “We look ahead to clearing his good identify earlier than the courtroom and a jury of his friends.”
Former Oakland Mayor indicted on corruption prices
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