{"id":2281585,"date":"2024-06-22T06:21:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-22T10:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/key-players-in-fbi-raid-of-oakland-mayors-home\/"},"modified":"2024-06-22T06:26:41","modified_gmt":"2024-06-22T10:26:41","slug":"key-players-in-fbi-raid-of-oakland-mayors-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/key-players-in-fbi-raid-of-oakland-mayors-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Key figures in FBI&#8217;s raid on Oakland mayor&#8217;s residence"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkey-players-in-fbi-raid-of-oakland-mayors-home%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2281585&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Oakland chapter of the NAACP has \u2062requested Mayor Sheng \u200cThao&#8217;s resignation after FBI raided her residence, citing a\u2064 crisis in the city. Thao has not been seen since the raid. \u2064The NAACP&#8217;s call \u2063for her resignation follows the verification\u200b of enough signatures\u2062 for \u2062a\u200c recall vote\u2064 scheduled alongside recent violent incidents in\u200c the\u2062 city.\u200d Additionally, FBI agents also raided homes and offices related to\u2062 the\u2063 Duong family, \u2064owners \u200dof California\u200c Waste Solutions (CWS), a company involved\u2062 in politics, who allegedly tried to influence local, state,\u2063 and\u2062 national decisions. The Duongs have faced accusations of secretive campaign contributions using &#8220;stramb donors&#8221; during city contract negotiations. The city and CWS settled a lawsuit over overcharges in 2021. \u2064The ongoing investigations and raids suggest \u2064deeper issues \u200cregarding governance and transparency within the city&#8217;s political\u2062 and business dealings.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3053779\/is-the-bay-area-ok\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Oakland\">Oakland<\/a> chapter of the NAACP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/sanfrancisco\/news\/sheng-thao-fbi-raid-oakland-mayor-naacp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Oakland\">has called <\/a>on Mayor Sheng Thao to resign following the early-morning FBI raids on her home Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Oakland\">Oakland<\/a> chapter said the city \u201chas a cloud hanging over it today\u201d and that Thao should\u00a0step down from her post ahead of recall efforts to oust her. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland, California, Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Jessica Christian\/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Thao has been missing in action since the raid and her spokespeople had no information on her whereabouts or schedule, the <em>San Francisco Chronicle<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/crime\/article\/oakland-mayor-day-after-fbi-raid-19524562.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"reported\">reported<\/a> Friday afternoon. The mayor\u2019s absence has puzzled residents in a city that had already been\u00a0plunged into a crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Thursday\u2019s raid followed the verification Tuesday of enough signatures to qualify on a November ballot to recall the mayor. It also followed a slate of shootings on Juneteenth at Lake Merritt.<\/p>\n<p>Federal agents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3053801\/fbi-raids-home-of-oakland-mayor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"also raided\">also raided<\/a> the homes of David Duong and his son Andrew Duong, whose family owns California Waste Solutions, a recycling company that has a lucrative contract with the city. A third raid was carried out at offices shared by the company and the Vietnamese American Business Association, led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/roger-stone-announces-he-will-sue-those-who-arrested-him-and-put-him-in-front-of-a-kangaroo-court\/\" title=\"Roger Stone Announces He Will Sue Those Who Arrested Him and Put Him In Front of a Kangaroo Court\">multiple members<\/a> of the Duong family.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI has remained quiet on the reason for the raids, but there have been allegations that the Duongs have injected themselves into city, state, and national politics for quite some time and have tried to buy influence and power. <\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what we know so far about the key players in the case. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">California Waste Solutions <\/h2>\n<p>The company was founded in 1992 and is owned and operated by the Duong family. <\/p>\n<p>The company is run by siblings David Duong, who serves as the company\u2019s CEO and president; Kristina Duong, its CFO; and Victor Duong, the company\u2019s vice president.<\/p>\n<p>The company is based in Oakland but also operates in San Jose. They have also created an integrated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-was-just-one-spawn-of-the-powerful-who-occupied-a-network-that-might-be-called-family-inc\/\" title=\"Hunter Was Just One Spawn Of The Powerful Who Occupied A Network That Might Be Called \u2018Family, Inc.\u2019\">waste management<\/a> facility in their native Vietnam, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/calwaste.com\/duong-family\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"company website\">company website<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>In 2014, the Oakland City Council voted to award the company a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/johnson-claims-modern-civilisation-is-at-risk-over-climate-change\/\" title=\"Johnson Claims Modern Civilisation Is at Risk over Climate Change\">billion-dollar contract<\/a> to run the city\u2019s trash and recycling collection services. The move raised some eyebrows after some Oakland city officials objected, complaining that the company was too small and too inexperienced to carry out the work.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao speaks during a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-live-trump-campaign-holds-press-conference-to-outline-viable-path-to-victory\/\" title=\"Watch Live: Trump Campaign Holds Press Conference to Outline 'Viable Path to Victory'\">news conference<\/a> at Laney College in Oakland, California, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. Federal authorities raided a home belonging to Thao early Thursday, June 20, 2024, as part of a California investigation that included a search of at least two other houses, officials said. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu, File )<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Waste Management, a much larger corporation that had also put in a bid for the contract, also objected, claiming CWS was ill-prepared.\u00a0In the end, the Oakland City Council divided\u00a0the contract, awarding Waste Management the trash pickup contract and CWS the\u00a0recycling gig. <\/p>\n<p>Today, CWS\u00a0provides recycling collection services to every household in Oakland. They also provide commercial recycling to Oakland businesses. <\/p>\n<p>CWS began its partnership\u00a0with the city of San Jose in 2002. It is now the city\u2019s lead recycling agency and collects recyclable\u00a0material\u00a0from more than 160,000 households per week. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lawsuit <\/h2>\n<p>Oakland sued CWS in 2017 for overcharging some landlords in multiunit buildings, making millions more in profit than the\u00a0company should have.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, both parties settled under a deal where CWS would refund the landlords $6 million and reduce their monthly premium service rate, <a href=\"https:\/\/oaklandside.org\/2024\/06\/20\/fbi-search-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-andy-duong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"according to\">according to<\/a> the <em>Oaklandside<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The city also agreed to refund CWS for some alleged overcharges.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a house associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. Federal authorities raided a home belonging to Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao early Thursday as part of an investigation that included a search of at least two other houses, authorities said. (Ray Chavez\/Bay Area News Group via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Duong family <\/h2>\n<p>The 16-member family\u00a0escaped Vietnam during the war in 1979 and resettled in San Francisco. <\/p>\n<p>The Duongs squeezed themselves into two studio apartments when they got to California and started the uphill climb to financial stability. <\/p>\n<p>The family had owned the largest paper mill\u00a0in South Vietnam before they moved to the United States.\u00a0When they got to California, the family collected cardboard after school until midnight for several years and was eventually able to purchase their first recycling\u00a0warehouse in West Oakland, according to the company website. <\/p>\n<p>The family\u2019s social media sites are filled with pictures of Andy and David Duong with powerful politicians. The close ties raised eyebrows for some. <\/p>\n<p>In 2019, Oakland\u2019s Public Ethics Commission and the state Fair Political Practices Commission launched a joint investigation\u00a0into David Doung and his family after receiving a tip that the family secretly gave thousands of dollars to Oakland City Council members\u2019 campaigns. <\/p>\n<p>The Duongs were accused of funnelling $67,000 into the campaign coffers of Dan Kalb, Lynette McElhaney, Rebecca Kaplan, Abel Guillen, Desley Brooks, and Thao, who had been on the council at the time. <\/p>\n<p>The money was given while the city was negotiating with CWS about the relocation of its West Oakland facility. It also took place while the city attorney was in negotiations with the company over allegations it overcharged landlords.<\/p>\n<p>The Public Ethics Commission claimed that David and Andy Duong used \u201cstraw donors\u201d to hide the money they gave City Council members. Investigators subpoenaed 13 people but most refused to cooperate, the <em>Oaklandside<\/em> reported. <\/p>\n<p>The investigation is ongoing. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">David Duong<\/h2>\n<p>David Duong is the oldest of his siblings and serves as the company\u2019s president and CEO. <\/p>\n<p>Duong has donated thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Tim Kaine (D-VA). He and his son have also donated to local and state campaigns, including to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. <\/p>\n<p>David Duong\u2019s Facebook account has pictures of him with the governors of Maine, Montana, New Jersey, Kentucky, Virginia, Kansas, Arizona, New Hampshire, and New Mexico. He also shared photos he took with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and former Secretary of State John Kerry. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong<\/h2>\n<p>Andy Duong is the son of David Duong. <\/p>\n<p>His Instagram account is filled with pictures of him and powerful politicians including Thao, former District 6 City Councilman Loren Taylor, and District 2 Councilwoman Nikki Fortunato Bas. <\/p>\n<p>He also has pictures of himself with Bonta, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thao, Vietnam trip, and the Duongs<\/h2>\n<p>In 2023, Thao led a trade delegation to Vietnam. <\/p>\n<p>It was the mayor\u2019s first overseas trip and she was there to promote the Port of Oakland. <\/p>\n<p>Thao went on the trip with Oakland and Alameda County officials, including Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez and Supervisor Lena Tam. <\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER \">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The delegation was sponsored by the Bay Area Council and the Vietnamese American Business Association, of which David Duong and his brother Victor Duong serve as chairman and vice chairman. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis trip was an investment in Oakland\u2019s future, by cultivating critical relationships that will grow our city\u2019s economy,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1683046\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1683046\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Oakland NAACP has demanded Mayor Sheng Thao&#8217;s resignation after FBI agents raided her home early Thursday. The chapter stated that a &#8220;cloud&#8221; looms over the city, urging her to resign before potential recall actions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2281586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sheng-thao-mayor-oakland-0624.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548,538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2281585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sheng-thao-mayor-oakland-0624.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2281585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2281585"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2281585\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2281586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2281585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2281585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2281585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}