(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, currently embroiled in an FBI investigation over public corruption, blamed conservatives for her ongoing troubles
During a press conference on Monday, Thao lashed out at her political opponents following the raid on her home earlier this month.
“I’m seeking the truth right now just as much as you all are but I will not be bullied and I will not be disparaged, and I will not be threatened out of this office,” Thao declared, breaking her silence after the raid.
“There are a lot of radical right-wing forces who know they will never win an election in Oakland fair and square,” she added, providing no evidence. “They know their extreme views are at odds with our Oakland values but they have built the rules to protect and preserve their power and maintain dominance over the rest of us.”
Thao’s unsubstantiated claims came after the FBI seized documents from her and her partner’s home as part of a public corruption investigation.
FBI NOW CLEAR FROM OAKLAND MAYOR SHENG THAO’S HOUSE. Good law-enforcement source tells me this is a public corruption investigation of Thao and her boyfriend. pic.twitter.com/LnQbrs3NPp
— Dan Noyes (@dannoyes) June 20, 2024
Three other locations were also raided: the homes of California Waste Solutions owners David Duong and Andy Duong, and the company’s corporate headquarters, reported the Oaklandside news site.
FBI agents taking pictures and going inside car in front of Oakland Hills home that is connected to their investigation into Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao pic.twitter.com/UZtL8o1ZC3
— Will Tran (@KRON4WTran) June 20, 2024
Coinciding with the FBI’s raid, the city clerk announced that a recall campaign against Thao had gained sufficient votes to proceed in November.
According to media reports, central to the recall effort are Thao’s leftist policies, including her controversial decision to oust Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong in February 2023 amid a misconduct investigation.
Following Armstrong’s firing, California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed 120 California Highway Patrol officers to Oakland to assist with rising crime rates, reported Police1.com.
Earlier in her speech, Thao asserted, without evidence, that the investigation isn’t related to her.
“I want to be crystal clear: I have done nothing wrong,” she claimed. “I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. I have not been charged with a crime, and I am confident I will not be charged with a crime because I am innocent.”
