Key Witness in Sheng Thao Corruption Trial Will Be Compelled to Testify
The one-time romantic partner of a government witness at the center of Sheng Thao’s Oakland corruption trial will be compelled to testify Wednesday.
U.S. District Chief Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Tuesday signed an order requiring Cecilia Mendez to appear on the witness stand after her attorney said she planned to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
In addition to her link to Juarez, Mendez also worked for the housing startup Juarez founded with the Duongs, called Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. Prosecutors have alleged the ex-mayor promised to help the company secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support and a $300,000 no-show job at the company for Thao’s longtime romantic partner, Andre Jones.
Thao, Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for their alleged participation in that pay-to-play scheme. U.S. attorneys allege Thao also agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with their business, California Waste Solutions.
According to prosecutors, Mendez made audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings without the other participants’ knowledge, which is illegal under California law. They said they plan to play upwards of 45 minutes of these recordings for the jury, possibly pulling back the curtain on the internal operations of the startup.
Mendez will testify under a statutory immunity and compulsion order, obtained by prosecutors, which requires her to answer questions on the witness stand, despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. In exchange, the order grants her statutory immunity, meaning that what she said during her testimony cannot be used against her in any state or federal criminal case in the future.
In addition to questions from the government, Mendez may face tough questions from defense attorneys about her relationship with Juarez and what they’ve characterized as his “decades-long history” of fraud, as they try to cast more doubt on his credibility.
Defense attorneys said Tuesday that Mendez had previously expressed concerns to prosecutors that she might be sued or retaliated against by the defendants for information she shares on the stand.
After Mendez finishes her testimony, former Oakland Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.