The future of progressive Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is at stake after a series of challenges and scandals that left her politically isolated after a week of turmoil.
In what must surely be the worst week of her political life, Mayor Thao, 38, was told she would face a recall election in November, less than two years into her term, and then had to deal with an FBI raid against him. home.
His week went from bad to worse. On Tuesday, the city clerk’s office notified the leaders behind the recall effort that they had gathered enough verified signatures to qualify for the vote in November and essentially oust Thao midway through his term.
Higher crime levels and budget problems have challenged Thao since he took office in January 2023 after a term on the Oakland City Council.
Things didn’t improve the next day. On Wednesday, a shooting near Lake Merritt left at least 15 people injured while Juneteenth celebrations were taking place.
Progressive Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao appears to be politically isolated after a week of turmoil that included the announcement of a recall election and an FBI raid on her home.
FBI agents remove boxes from a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday.
On Thursday, the FBI raided Thao’s home and agents were seen removing boxes from 80 Maiden Lane, a four-bedroom home that property records link to the first-term mayor.
Agents also conducted searches about three miles south at two homes owned by members of the influential Duong family, which owns the recycling company Cal Waste Solutions.
The company has been investigated for campaign contributions to Thao and other city elected officials, the local media outlet. oakland side reported in 2020.
One of the properties is owned by Andy Duong and the other is related to David and Linda Duong.
The family also organized a business delegation trip to Vietnam with Thao last year.
By the time Friday arrived, the atmosphere around Thao was decidedly chilly with an eerie silence from his potential political allies.
No one appeared to publicly defend her, oppose her dismissal, or even comment on the raid.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s home was raided by the FBI over pay-to-play allegations against her boyfriend Andre Jones (pictured, top left), a former aide claims, and the worker also revealed a huge discomfort in the couple’s relationship.
Oakland voters upset over rising crime in the Bay Area city.
They say his progressive, soft-on-crime policies have emboldened criminals and scared away businesses.
It’s a similar story in many progressive Democratic cities across the country.
In the case of Mayor Thao, she previously denounced the rise in crime and stated that the increase began in 2019, before her term.
The progressive district attorney for Alameda County, which includes Oakland, also faces recall.
Pamela Price’s policies have been blamed for emboldening 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 trying to fight crime with lax bail policies that allow criminals to be released at the few hours after committing the crimes.
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 even having a list of crimes of “do not process.”
They include breaking and entering, wanton and malicious destruction of property, underage possession of alcohol and drugs, including distribution of marijuana and other types of marijuana.
In the case of Oakland, the city has been rocked by violent crimes in recent months, including murders, which have skyrocketed from 78 in 2019 to 126 last year.
Overall crime increased 18 percent in 2023, property crimes increased 17 percent, and violent crimes increased 21 percent.
And in the first four months of 2024, residential burglaries skyrocketed 118 percent from the same period last year.
Surprisingly, in 2023 one car was also stolen for every 30 residents.
The situation has led several large corporations to withdraw from the city, citing fears for staff safety and the crippling impact of retail theft.
The progressive Democratic lawmaker is the first mayor in the city’s history to be recalled, after a campaign to recall her garnered more than 40,000 signatures.
FBI Agents Raid Home on Maiden Lane Where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Reportedly Lives
FBI agents leave a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao
“In just one year, Thao’s incompetence and dishonesty accelerated Oakland’s decline, leading to the closure of long-standing businesses and the abandonment of generational families,” the Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao (OUST) campaign website stated. ).
His 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 goal is to ensure that our government’s work of serving our communities continues without interruption for the people of Oakland, who expect and deserve nothing less. … Regarding (Thursday’s) FBI raids, I share the shock felt by many and ask that we all remain focused on the important work of achieving a safe, connected and prosperous city,’ he said.
Many of Thao’s supporters, especially those running for public office, also appeared to distance themselves.
Labor leaders who had previously endorsed her, including Keith D. Brown of the Alameda Labor Council and Zac Unger of the International Association of Firefighters, declined to comment.
Local union SEIU 1021, which helped play a crucial role in Thao’s election, also declined to speak.
There was silence from his supporters in Sacramento, including Attorney General Rob Bonta and Assemblywoman Mia Bonta.
Thao’s attorney, Anthony Brass, attempted to distance the raid from her, emphasizing that federal officials did not indicate that she was the target of the raids and pleading with the public to reserve judgment.
But public support for Thao appears to be waning, with former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong urging her to resign.
“What’s really challenging is that not only the absence of the mayor, but the absence of other city leaders stepping up right now to make sure that the residents and people of the city of Oakland know that there is leadership and is working to help solve some of these problems,” said LeRonne Armstrong, a former police chief fired by Thao.
Sheng Thao will face a historic recall election in November amid anger over his failure to control the situation in Oakland.
Oakland has been rocked by violent crime in recent months, including murders that increased from 78 in 2019 to 126 last year. (pictured) Police investigate a multiple shooting and homicide at an Oakland gas station in January 2023.
Retired Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte, who is leading the recall campaign, is also calling for Thao to resign.
‘She should do the honorable thing and resign. The FBI raid is going to be a distraction no matter how you look at it. “Even if she’s not charged, it’s going to be a distraction trying to manage this investigation and trying to lead a city,” Harbin-Forte said.
Thao has yet to make a public statement since the raid occurred, but is said to plan to do so next week.
‘She has a very binary choice right now. 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 of those are easy to make.
He has the weekend to convince his allies to stay by his side.