FBI agents executed search warrants at Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s residence on Maiden Lane and at a property on View Crest Court, which is associated with Andy Duong, whose family owns California Waste Solutions. The Duong family’s company is Oakland’s curbside recycling provider and also operates in San Jose.
The FBI has not disclosed the purpose of the searches.
The Duong family has connections to Thao and other politicians in Oakland and the Bay Area.
In 2020, Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission began investigating allegations that the Duong family illegally funneled campaign contributions to multiple members of the Oakland City Council.
The commission’s enforcement chief Simon Russell stated that the investigation is ongoing but could not provide further details due to confidentiality rules.
Last summer, Thao and other officials traveled to Vietnam as part of a trade delegation to promote Oakland, with the trip partially sponsored and organized by the Vietnamese American Business Association, led by members of the Duong family.
