Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Implicated in Corruption Scheme Tied to 2022 Election

Court filings and FBI investigations reveal alleged payments and influence by contractors to sway election outcomes and secure lucrative city contracts.

• Outgoing Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is linked to a corruption scheme involving secret payments to influence the 2022 mayoral election, according to new court filings.
• Prosecutors allege the Duong family, owners of California Waste Solutions, funneled $295,000 through political operative Mario Juarez to boost Thao’s campaign and secure city contracts worth millions.
• Juarez allegedly used some of the funds to produce racially charged attack ads targeting Thao’s opponents and wrote $7,500 in checks to Thao’s boyfriend, Andre Jones, after the election.
• The FBI raided Thao’s home in June 2024 as part of a broader investigation into public corruption at Oakland City Hall, though Thao denies being a target of the probe.
• Thao, who faced criticism for her leadership and rising crime rates, was recalled by Oakland voters in November, marking a rare removal of a major U.S. city mayor.

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