Progressive Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is dealt another huge blow after FBI raid on boyfriend’s home and announcement she’ll face recall election

Progressive Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s future hangs in the balance after a series of challenges and scandals leave her politically isolated after a week of unrest.

Mayor Thao, 38, was told she would face a recall election in November — less than two years into her term — and then faced an FBI raid on her. At home.

Her week went from bad to worse. On Tuesday, the city clerk’s office informed the leaders behind the recall that they had collected enough verified signatures to qualify for the November ballot and essentially kick Thao out halfway through her term.

Increased crime and budget issues have challenged Thao since she took office in January 2023 after a stint on the Oakland City Council.

The next day it was no better. On Wednesday, a shooting near Lake Merritt injured at least 15 people as Juneteenth celebrations were underway.

Thursday saw the FBI raid Thao’s home, with officers seen carrying boxes from 80 Maiden Lane, a four-bedroom home whose ownership records are linked to the first-term mayor.

Agents also conducted searches about three miles south at two homes owned by members of the politically influential Duong family that owns the recycling company Cal Waste Solutions.

The company has come under investigation for campaign contributions to Thao and other elected city officials, the local news outlet Oaklandside reported in 2020.

One of the properties is owned by Andy Duong and the other is connected to David and Linda Duong.

Last year, the family also organized a trade delegation trip to Vietnam with Thao.

By the time Friday rolled around, the atmosphere around Thao was decidedly icy, with an eerie silence from her would-be political allies.

No one seemed to come out to publicly defend her, oppose her recall or even comment on the raid.

Oakland voters are angry about rising crime in the Bay Area city.

They say her progressive, soft-on-crime policies have emboldened criminals and driven out businesses.

It’s a similar story in many progressive, Democratic cities across the country.

In Mayor Thao’s case, she has previously condemned the increase in crime, stating that the uptick began as early as 2019, before her term.

The progressive district attorney of Alameda County, which includes Oakland, is also facing a recall.

Pamela Price’s policies have been accused of encouraging criminals and prioritizing their needs over those of crime victims.

In 2022, San Francisco, which is just across the Bay Bridge from Oakland, recalled its progressive prosecutor Chesa Boudin after similar anger.

In New York City, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg implemented policies that benefit criminals and undermine the work of police in their efforts to tackle crime with a lax bail policy that allows criminals to commit crimes within hours of committing crimes. violations can be released.

The same nightmare has played out in Los Angeles with City Attorney George Gascon, Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, Wesley Bell in St. Louis, Kim Foxx in Chicago and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who even has a list of crimes that ‘do not prosecute’.

These include burglary of property, wanton and malicious destruction of property, minors in possession of alcohol and drugs, including the distribution of marijuana and non-marijuana varieties.

In the case of Oakland, the city has been ravaged in recent months by violent crime, including homicides, which rose from 78 in 2019 to 126 last year.

Crime increased by a total of 18 percent in 2023, with property crime increasing by 17 percent and violent crime by 21 percent.

And in the first four months of 2024, home robberies increased by 118 percent compared to the same period last year.

Astonishingly, one car per 30 residents was also stolen in 2023.

The situation has prompted several major companies to withdraw from the city, citing fears for staff safety and the crippling effects of shoplifting.

The progressive Democratic lawmaker is the first mayor in the city’s history to face recall after a campaign to oust her gathered more than 40,000 signatures.

“In just a year, Thao’s incompetence and dishonesty has accelerated Oakland’s decline, forcing old businesses to close and generational families to leave,” according to the Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao (OUST) campaign website.

Her closest political ally, Nikki Fortunato Bas, president of the Oakland City Council and candidate for Alameda County supervisor, also remained silent when it came to mentioning Thao by name.

“As Council President, my sole focus is to ensure that our government’s mission to serve our communities continues without interruption for the people of Oakland, who expect and deserve no less. … Regarding the FBI raids (Thursday), I share the shock felt by many, and I call on all of us to remain focused on the important work of achieving a safe, connected and thriving city,” she said.

Many of Thao’s supporters, especially those running for office, also appeared to distance themselves.

Labor leaders who had previously supported her, including Keith D. Brown of the Alameda Labor Council and Zac Unger of the International Association of Fire Fighters, refrained from commenting.

The local union SEIU 1021, which played a crucial role in Thao’s elections, also declined to speak out.

There was silence among her supporters in Sacramento, including Attorney General Rob Bonta and Assemblywoman Mia Bonta.

Thao’s attorney, Anthony Brass, sought to distance herself from the raid, insisting that federal officials had not indicated she was the target of the raids and pleading for the public to refrain from judging.

But public support for Thao appears to be waning as Oakland’s former police chief LeRonne Armstrong urges her to resign.

“What’s really challenging is that not only the absence of the mayor, but the absence of other city leaders who are stepping up right now to make sure that residents and people in the city of Oakland know that leadership is in place and working on helping to solve some problems. of these problems,” said LeRonne Armstrong, a former police chief who was fired by Thao.

Retired judge Brenda Harbin-Forte, who is leading the recall campaign, also called on Thao to resign.

“She should do the honorable thing and resign. The FBI raid will be a distraction any way you look at it. Even if she is not charged, it will be a distraction as you try to run this investigation and run a city,” Harbin-Forte said.

Thao has not made any public statement since the raid but is said to be planning to speak out next week.

“She has a very binary choice at the moment. She can fight for political survival or resign,” political consultant Jim Ross told the San Francisco Chronicle. “That’s the choice she has. I don’t think either is easy to make.’

She has a weekend to convince her allies to stay by her side.