Testimony: AG Bonta Visited Oakland Housing Company Connected to Alleged Bribery Scheme

A key witness in the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao testified Monday that California Attorney General Rob Bonta visited the showroom of a housing company that’s central to the alleged bribery scheme. 

The witness, Oakland political operative Mario Juarez, cofounded Evolutionary Homes with two defendants in the case — recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong. The two are facing charges of bribery, conspiracy and fraud alongside Thao and her longtime partner, Andre Jones. Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. 

On Monday, Jones’ attorney, Shawn Halbert, questioned Juarez about his relationship with the attorney general and his wife, Democratic California Assemblywoman Mia Bonta. 

“In 2022, you had a lot of clout because of your relationship with Rob Bonta and his wife, Mia Bonta,” Halbert asked Juarez. 

She said she saw a picture of Attorney General Bonta at the showroom in 2023. 

“Bonta came to see your units at Evolutionary Homes,” she said.  

“I believe he did come, yeah,” Juarez replied. 

Spokespeople for the attorney general’s office and his reelection campaign did not respond to requests for comment on Monday. 

In 2024, after being contacted by federal investigators amidst the FBI’s probe of Thao and the other defendants, Rob Bonta spent nearly $470 thousand in campaign funds on legal services. 

Last year, he told KQED’s Political Breakdown that he hired a lawyer to guide him through the process of providing the federal government with all of the information and documents they were requesting. 

“We provided information. I met with and answered all the questions of the federal government and did everything I could to assist and help with their investigation of others,” Rob Bonta said. “I made myself available to answer any questions about any of that information, any of those documents and anything else they wanted to talk to me about.” 

An exhibit filed in federal court in September mentioned interview notes related to a 2024 interview of Rob Bonta and a subpoena request for the AT&T data for his phone. 

Bonta said he did not get the impression that he was a target of the federal investigation. 

“I got a very clear, opposite sense,” Bonta said. “I am someone that they thought may have relevant information about an investigation that they were engaged in of others.” 

Thao is accused of promising favorable treatment to the Duongs — owners of the city’s curbside recycling contractor, California Waste Solutions — and their businesses in exchange for negative campaign mailers attacking her political opponents and $95,000 paid to Jones through what prosecutors say was a no-show job. 

One of the businesses, Evolutionary Homes, aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for the homeless and market them to local Bay Area governments looking to address the homelessness crisis. 

But after they had a dramatic falling out in May 2024, Juarez began communicating with the FBI and federal prosecutors. 

In June 2024, the FBI raided the homes of Thao, Jones and the Duongs, as well as the Oakland waterfront offices of California Waste Solutions and Evolutionary Homes. 

Shortly after, Rob Bonta returned $155,000 in donations he had received from the Duong family “out of an abundance of caution.” 

Around that time, Juarez wrote a letter to the attorney general warning him that Andy Duong had a video of him in a “compromising situation.” 

Rob Bonta told KQED “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” 

Photos on Andy Duong’s Instagram account show him posing with Rob and Mia Bonta at various events over the years. Rob Bonta has denied any close, personal relationship with the Duong family. 

Juarez is widely considered to be the government’s star witness. Monday marked his fourth day on the stand as he sparred with defense lawyers waiting their turn to ask him questions. 

He testified that he served as Rob Bonta’s alternate on the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, the local Democratic party for the county.    

“In 2021, 2022,” Halbert said, “(Bonta’s) wife, Mia Bonta, was running her campaign out of your office.” 

“Mia Bonta used the offices at 1241 High Street and yes, we did an event for her victory party at the office,” Juarez said. 

“And Rob Bonta attended,” Halbert said. 

“The attorney general did attend,” Juarez said. 

Halbert asked if it was fair to say Juarez had connections and access.  

“Yes, we had access to individuals that were elected members,” Juarez said. 

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story misstated the amount of campaign funds Rob Bonta spent on legal services. The amount was $470 thousand, not $470 million.