Criminal activity has gotten completely out of control in one California city.
Recent developments have only underscored this fact and it’s not a good look for a local politician.
Now, one elected Democrat of this deep blue city just saw her home raided by the FBI.
She hasn’t been charged with any crime and no arrest has been made, according to her lawyer, but it’s not the kind of story that a politician would ever hope to be talking about.
Oakland, California Mayor Sheng Thao (D) saw her home raided by the FBI last week.
Also included in the raid were the home and business of one of her campaign donors.
Lawyer proclaims mayor’s innocence after FBI raid
In a statement, Thao’s attorney Tony Brass said, “Mayor Thao is ready, willing and able to cooperate fully with federal investigators. She has nothing to hide. It’s unfortunate that she has had to endure the bad optics of having this search warrant executed on her home. She would have cooperated with this investigation without the need for this search.”
The statement continued, “Mayor Thao will continue to do the work Oakland expects from their mayor and provide the federal government with whatever information they are seeking. We have no information that she is or will be the target of this or any investigation.”
A local Fox affiliate reports that the FBI also raided a property belonging to a man called Andy Duong, who is a part owner of California Waste Solutions, a recycling company that had been under investigation for campaign contributions to the mayor.
Also included in the raid was the headquarters of the Vietnamese American Business Association (VABA), an organization run by the Duong family and which led a U.S. business delegation to Vietnam last year.
Mayor may be fired from her job soon regardless of the raid
Thao is in hot political water and may soon find herself out of a job.
Last week, community organizers recorded almost double the required number of signatures needed to force a recall of the mayor on November’s ballot.
Supporters of the recall gathered 40,595 valid signatures on the recall petition.
The recall was headed by retired Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte.
She told local media that Thao is to blame for rising crime, grand theft auto, and instances of people being robbed on the street.
To drive home her point, Harbin-Forte even claims that Thao has “blood on her hands.”
In an interview with KTVU, she called gaining the signatures a “historic achievement” and said that it gives voters a chance to voice their disapproval with “a sense of urgency and purpose to recall this dishonest and incompetent mayor.”
Recall proponents cite the massive growth of homeless encampments, as well as cars being broken into and stolen, and the general uptick in crime as reasons to fire the mayor.
One resident told KTVU the state of the city was the worst she had seen since she began living there almost thirty years ago.
Stay tuned to Blue State Blues for any updates to this ongoing story.
