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"slug": "consummate-hustler-controversial-government-witness-set-to-testify-in-thao-trial",
"title": "Campaign Promises, Bags of Cash, Karaoke: A ‘Consummate Hustler’ Takes the Stand in Thao Trial",
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"headTitle": "Campaign Promises, Bags of Cash, Karaoke: A ‘Consummate Hustler’ Takes the Stand in Thao Trial | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his first day of testimony Friday, the star witness in Sheng Thao’s Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">corruption trial\u003c/a> unloaded explosive allegations about courting city staffers with drugs and girls, doling out gym bags filled with cash for defendants in the case and the ex-mayor’s escalating asks for more money.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative, has pleaded guilty to participating in an alleged scheme to bribe Thao in exchange for a city contract for a housing startup he cofounded, called Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have repeatedly questioned Juarez’s credibility as a witness, calling him a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a “decades-long history” of fraud. They’ve described a history of Juarez falsely accusing other people when his own business ventures sour and pointed to numerous lawsuits Juarez has been involved in — 33 between 1992 and 2022 — including fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He’s agreed to testify on behalf of the government in their case against Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, in hopes of a lighter sentence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The four codefendants are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for an alleged quid pro quo in which the Duongs agreed to provide financial support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral run and give Jones a no-show job for $300,000 at Evolutionary Homes. In return, prosecutors say that in addition to the contract for Evolutionary Homes, Thao allegedly agreed to help elevate city staffers to director level positions in City Hall at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request and help the Duongs’ other business, California Waste Solutions, with city deals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury Juarez is “no angel,” and had a “history of doing dirty work” for the Duongs. Still, Fine said, Juarez’s testimony will line up with thousands of texts, audio recordings and taped phone calls they’ve introduced in evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez will return to the witness stand on Thursday, when court resumes, and is expected to face tough questions from defense attorneys.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gym bags of money\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez told the court that he met recycling executive David and Andy Duong around 2008, when he was first running for Oakland City Council, and that he and the family had formed an amicable working relationship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said after the family supported his two unsuccessful council bids, in 2008 and again in 2012, he helped them lobby for Oakland’s curbside recycling contract in 2014. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They were the underdog at the time,” he told the court. “And they wanted to win.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, California Waste Solutions was selected against city staff’s recommendation, Juarez said. The company \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">won the contract\u003c/a> in a controversial 7-1 vote in August 2014. Councilmember Noel Gallo cast the sole no vote, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">city records\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following day, Juarez testified, a number of people lined up outside the California Waste Solutions’ office to talk to David Duong. He said some came to congratulate him, while others “were there to collect money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said he loaded cash into gym bags, including one with up to $300,000, and helped David Duong distribute them to those people, including a sitting city council member and another person who he said came on behalf of a “sitting councilwoman.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez told the court that in the months after California Waste Solutions won the 2014 contract, another company who entered a bid wanted to overrule the decision by putting a referendum before voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said he helped the Duongs’ work to block those efforts, in one instance getting into a shoving match with someone collecting signatures for the potential ballot measure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“After the shoving match… David Duong asked me ‘What did I want?’” Juarez recalled. “I told him I don’t want any cash, I wanted to do business with him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Andre wanted to be a millionaire’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They did start working together in October 2022, when Juarez and the Duongs cofounded Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. They spent roughly two years seeking contracts with various cities and counties around the Bay Area, including Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just weeks after officially incorporating Evolutionary Homes, Juarez met with Thao in his office to discuss a proposed bribery scheme. In an Apple note extracted from Juarez’s iCloud account around that time, he wrote he had a “1:30 meeting” with Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under it, he said, was an outline he made for himself to “guide the conversation with her.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note said the city would purchase 100 housing units, support California Waste Solutions’ deals and appoint key officials in exchange for the mailer campaign. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Juarez also said at that meeting, Thao told him she also wanted $300,000. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We agreed to do it through AJ,” Juarez said, referring to Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In December 2022, Jones received five checks for a total of $20,000, and Juarez said Thao agreed to increase the number of units the city would purchase to 300.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By March, Juarez said Jones was asking for more money, but that he and Thao hadn’t made much progress on their end of the deal. The five met for dinner, Juarez testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We were a little frustrated,” he said. “At this point we wanted to bring the big guns, wanted to bring David Duong to the table to move this forward, to see what was the hold up,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that meeting, Juarez said Thao recommitted to the deal — for a price: “The structure [for paying Jones] went from $300,000 to a structure that would make them millionaires.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Andre wanted to be a millionaire out of this deal,” he told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of a $300,000 flat fee, that would be the floor for Jones’ payment, Juarez testified. And, he added, Jones would be paid $10,000 for each unit sold to Oakland. For the promised 300 units, that would add up to a grand total of $3 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout Juarez’s recounting of the alleged events, Thao and her attorney, Tsai, smiled and shook their heads from behind the defense table in the courtroom. In his opening statement, Tsai said Thao had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” he told the jury. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>David Duong’s ‘plausible deniability\u003c/strong>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said that throughout the alleged scheme, he and Andy Duong were supposed to handle communications with Thao and Jones, so that David Duong had “plausible deniability” if questions came up later.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He wasn’t here, he didn’t know, he didn’t agree to anything,” Juarez said of the recycling executive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, David Duong’s attorney Jeff Schenk described his client as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman who held the financial power but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You cannot agree to a deal you didn’t know about,” Schenk said. “You will learn there were texts talking about a deal. They were not texts with David Duong. [There are] texts about David Duong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Friday, prosecutors asked Juarez about a text conversation he had with Andy Duong in March 2023, in which he said they were expressing frustration that Jones had gone over their heads to contact David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Why AJ only calling him?” Juarez texted Andy Duong on March 26, 2023. “Isn’t he supposed to call you???”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I am going to mention that,” Andy Duong responds. “Wtf ?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were frustrated because, “we had communication directives,” Juarez said, adding that by contacting David Duong, Jones was “exposing” him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“My job is to protect David, make sure he can have plausible deniability, and now this guy is contacting him,” Juarez told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘There’s nothing wrong with karaoke’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most heated parts of Juarez’s testimony, however, came as prosecutors questioned him about a night out he and Andy Duong had with Larry Gallegos, one of the city staffers they allegedly wanted appointed to a director position, and Brian Azavedo, a former San Leandro councilmember who has also pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from the Duongs in a related scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said while they were courting Gallegos for the role, “It was important that [he] was shown a good time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andy Duong, he said, “was in charge of doing that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They went to a late night dinner and then a karaoke bar Andy Duong owned, Juarez said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said Andy Duong “ordered about 20 girls to come in” wearing very little clothing and dance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was “use of substances,” Juarez said, before the defense raised a series of objections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In pretrial motions, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled videos taken at the karaoke bar inadmissible. She ordered the prosecution to move on from the topic of the night out and said they might be able to return to it later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s nothing wrong with karaoke, generally speaking — unless you hear me sing,” Gonzalez Rogers told the jury, attempting to redirect their attention away from possible inadmissible testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prosecution will continue questioning Juarez on Thursday, when the trial resumes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In his first day of testimony Friday, the star witness in Sheng Thao’s Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">corruption trial\u003c/a> unloaded explosive allegations about courting city staffers with drugs and girls, doling out gym bags filled with cash for defendants in the case and the ex-mayor’s escalating asks for more money.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative, has pleaded guilty to participating in an alleged scheme to bribe Thao in exchange for a city contract for a housing startup he cofounded, called Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have repeatedly questioned Juarez’s credibility as a witness, calling him a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a “decades-long history” of fraud. They’ve described a history of Juarez falsely accusing other people when his own business ventures sour and pointed to numerous lawsuits Juarez has been involved in — 33 between 1992 and 2022 — including fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have repeatedly questioned Juarez’s credibility as a witness, calling him a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a “decades-long history” of fraud. They’ve described a history of Juarez falsely accusing other people when his own business ventures sour and pointed to numerous lawsuits Juarez has been involved in — 33 between 1992 and 2022 — including fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He’s agreed to testify on behalf of the government in their case against Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, in hopes of a lighter sentence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He’s agreed to testify on behalf of the government in their case against Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, in hopes of a lighter sentence.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The four codefendants are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for an alleged quid pro quo in which the Duongs agreed to provide financial support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral run and give Jones a no-show job for $300,000 at Evolutionary Homes. In return, prosecutors say that in addition to the contract for Evolutionary Homes, Thao allegedly agreed to help elevate city staffers to director level positions in City Hall at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request and help the Duongs’ other business, California Waste Solutions, with city deals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The four codefendants are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for an alleged quid pro quo in which the Duongs agreed to provide financial support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral run and give Jones a no-show job for $300,000 at Evolutionary Homes. In return, prosecutors say that in addition to the contract for Evolutionary Homes, Thao allegedly agreed to help elevate city staffers to director level positions in City Hall at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request and help the Duongs’ other business, California Waste Solutions, with city deals.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury Juarez is “no angel,” and had a “history of doing dirty work” for the Duongs. Still, Fine said, Juarez’s testimony will line up with thousands of texts, audio recordings and taped phone calls they’ve introduced in evidence. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury Juarez is “no angel,” and had a “history of doing dirty work” for the Duongs. Still, Fine said, Juarez’s testimony will line up with thousands of texts, audio recordings and taped phone calls they’ve introduced in evidence. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez will return to the witness stand on Thursday, when court resumes, and is expected to face tough questions from defense attorneys.\u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "Gym bags of money",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez told the court that he met recycling executive David and Andy Duong around 2008, when he was first running for Oakland City Council, and that he and the family had formed an amicable working relationship. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez told the court that he met recycling executive David and Andy Duong around 2008, when he was first running for Oakland City Council, and that he and the family had formed an amicable working relationship. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said after the family supported his two unsuccessful council bids, in 2008 and again in 2012, he helped them lobby for Oakland’s curbside recycling contract in 2014. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He said after the family supported his two unsuccessful council bids, in 2008 and again in 2012, he helped them lobby for Oakland’s curbside recycling contract in 2014. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They were the underdog at the time,” he told the court. “And they wanted to win.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ultimately, California Waste Solutions was selected against city staff’s recommendation, Juarez said. The company \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">won the contract\u003c/a> in a controversial 7-1 vote in August 2014. Councilmember Noel Gallo cast the sole no vote, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">city records\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ultimately, California Waste Solutions was selected against city staff’s recommendation, Juarez said. The company \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">won the contract\u003c/a> in a controversial 7-1 vote in August 2014. Councilmember Noel Gallo cast the sole no vote, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">city records\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The following day, Juarez testified, a number of people lined up outside the California Waste Solutions’ office to talk to David Duong. He said some came to congratulate him, while others “were there to collect money.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The following day, Juarez testified, a number of people lined up outside the California Waste Solutions’ office to talk to David Duong. He said some came to congratulate him, while others “were there to collect money.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez said he loaded cash into gym bags, including one with up to $300,000, and helped David Duong distribute them to those people, including a sitting city council member and another person who he said came on behalf of a “sitting councilwoman.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez said he loaded cash into gym bags, including one with up to $300,000, and helped David Duong distribute them to those people, including a sitting city council member and another person who he said came on behalf of a “sitting councilwoman.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez told the court that in the months after California Waste Solutions won the 2014 contract, another company who entered a bid wanted to overrule the decision by putting a referendum before voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez told the court that in the months after California Waste Solutions won the 2014 contract, another company who entered a bid wanted to overrule the decision by putting a referendum before voters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez said he helped the Duongs’ work to block those efforts, in one instance getting into a shoving match with someone collecting signatures for the potential ballot measure.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez said he helped the Duongs’ work to block those efforts, in one instance getting into a shoving match with someone collecting signatures for the potential ballot measure.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“After the shoving match… David Duong asked me ‘What did I want?’” Juarez recalled. “I told him I don’t want any cash, I wanted to do business with him.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“After the shoving match… David Duong asked me ‘What did I want?’” Juarez recalled. “I told him I don’t want any cash, I wanted to do business with him.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "‘Andre wanted to be a millionaire’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Andre wanted to be a millionaire’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Andre wanted to be a millionaire’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They did start working together in October 2022, when Juarez and the Duongs cofounded Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. They spent roughly two years seeking contracts with various cities and counties around the Bay Area, including Oakland. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They did start working together in October 2022, when Juarez and the Duongs cofounded Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. They spent roughly two years seeking contracts with various cities and counties around the Bay Area, including Oakland. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Just weeks after officially incorporating Evolutionary Homes, Juarez met with Thao in his office to discuss a proposed bribery scheme. In an Apple note extracted from Juarez’s iCloud account around that time, he wrote he had a “1:30 meeting” with Thao. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Just weeks after officially incorporating Evolutionary Homes, Juarez met with Thao in his office to discuss a proposed bribery scheme. In an Apple note extracted from Juarez’s iCloud account around that time, he wrote he had a “1:30 meeting” with Thao. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under it, he said, was an outline he made for himself to “guide the conversation with her.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under it, he said, was an outline he made for himself to “guide the conversation with her.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The note said the city would purchase 100 housing units, support California Waste Solutions’ deals and appoint key officials in exchange for the mailer campaign. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The note said the city would purchase 100 housing units, support California Waste Solutions’ deals and appoint key officials in exchange for the mailer campaign. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Juarez also said at that meeting, Thao told him she also wanted $300,000. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But Juarez also said at that meeting, Thao told him she also wanted $300,000. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We agreed to do it through AJ,” Juarez said, referring to Jones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We agreed to do it through AJ,” Juarez said, referring to Jones. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In December 2022, Jones received five checks for a total of $20,000, and Juarez said Thao agreed to increase the number of units the city would purchase to 300.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In December 2022, Jones received five checks for a total of $20,000, and Juarez said Thao agreed to increase the number of units the city would purchase to 300.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By March, Juarez said Jones was asking for more money, but that he and Thao hadn’t made much progress on their end of the deal. The five met for dinner, Juarez testified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>By March, Juarez said Jones was asking for more money, but that he and Thao hadn’t made much progress on their end of the deal. The five met for dinner, Juarez testified. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We were a little frustrated,” he said. “At this point we wanted to bring the big guns, wanted to bring David Duong to the table to move this forward, to see what was the hold up,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We were a little frustrated,” he said. “At this point we wanted to bring the big guns, wanted to bring David Duong to the table to move this forward, to see what was the hold up,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-1536x1024.jpg 1536w",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107527\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At that meeting, Juarez said Thao recommitted to the deal — for a price: “The structure [for paying Jones] went from $300,000 to a structure that would make them millionaires.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>At that meeting, Juarez said Thao recommitted to the deal — for a price: “The structure [for paying Jones] went from $300,000 to a structure that would make them millionaires.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Andre wanted to be a millionaire out of this deal,” he told the court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Andre wanted to be a millionaire out of this deal,” he told the court. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead of a $300,000 flat fee, that would be the floor for Jones’ payment, Juarez testified. And, he added, Jones would be paid $10,000 for each unit sold to Oakland. For the promised 300 units, that would add up to a grand total of $3 million.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Instead of a $300,000 flat fee, that would be the floor for Jones’ payment, Juarez testified. And, he added, Jones would be paid $10,000 for each unit sold to Oakland. For the promised 300 units, that would add up to a grand total of $3 million.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Throughout Juarez’s recounting of the alleged events, Thao and her attorney, Tsai, smiled and shook their heads from behind the defense table in the courtroom. In his opening statement, Tsai said Thao had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Throughout Juarez’s recounting of the alleged events, Thao and her attorney, Tsai, smiled and shook their heads from behind the defense table in the courtroom. In his opening statement, Tsai said Thao had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” he told the jury. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” he told the jury. \u003c/p>\n"
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "David Duong’s ‘plausible deniability’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>David Duong’s ‘plausible deniability\u003c/strong>’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>David Duong’s ‘plausible deniability\u003c/strong>’\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez said that throughout the alleged scheme, he and Andy Duong were supposed to handle communications with Thao and Jones, so that David Duong had “plausible deniability” if questions came up later.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez said that throughout the alleged scheme, he and Andy Duong were supposed to handle communications with Thao and Jones, so that David Duong had “plausible deniability” if questions came up later.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He wasn’t here, he didn’t know, he didn’t agree to anything,” Juarez said of the recycling executive. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You cannot agree to a deal you didn’t know about,” Schenk said. “You will learn there were texts talking about a deal. They were not texts with David Duong. [There are] texts about David Duong.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Friday, prosecutors asked Juarez about a text conversation he had with Andy Duong in March 2023, in which he said they were expressing frustration that Jones had gone over their heads to contact David. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Why AJ only calling him?” Juarez texted Andy Duong on March 26, 2023. “Isn’t he supposed to call you???”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I am going to mention that,” Andy Duong responds. “Wtf ?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They were frustrated because, “we had communication directives,” Juarez said, adding that by contacting David Duong, Jones was “exposing” him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My job is to protect David, make sure he can have plausible deniability, and now this guy is contacting him,” Juarez told the court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"text": "‘There’s nothing wrong with karaoke’ ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘There’s nothing wrong with karaoke’ \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of the most heated parts of Juarez’s testimony, however, came as prosecutors questioned him about a night out he and Andy Duong had with Larry Gallegos, one of the city staffers they allegedly wanted appointed to a director position, and Brian Azavedo, a former San Leandro councilmember who has also pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from the Duongs in a related scheme. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez said while they were courting Gallegos for the role, “It was important that [he] was shown a good time.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They went to a late night dinner and then a karaoke bar Andy Duong owned, Juarez said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said Andy Duong “ordered about 20 girls to come in” wearing very little clothing and dance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>There was “use of substances,” Juarez said, before the defense raised a series of objections. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In pretrial motions, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled videos taken at the karaoke bar inadmissible. She ordered the prosecution to move on from the topic of the night out and said they might be able to return to it later. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s nothing wrong with karaoke, generally speaking — unless you hear me sing,” Gonzalez Rogers told the jury, attempting to redirect their attention away from possible inadmissible testimony. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Mario Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three others.\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his first day of testimony Friday, the star witness in Sheng Thao’s Oakland \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">corruption trial\u003c/a> unloaded explosive allegations about courting city staffers with drugs and girls, doling out gym bags filled with cash for defendants in the case and the ex-mayor’s escalating asks for more money.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative, has pleaded guilty to participating in an alleged scheme to bribe Thao in exchange for a city contract for a housing startup he cofounded, called Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense attorneys have repeatedly questioned Juarez’s credibility as a witness, calling him a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">consummate hustler\u003c/a>” with a “decades-long history” of fraud. They’ve described a history of Juarez falsely accusing other people when his own business ventures sour and pointed to numerous lawsuits Juarez has been involved in — 33 between 1992 and 2022 — including fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He’s agreed to testify on behalf of the government in their case against Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, in hopes of a lighter sentence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The four codefendants are facing conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges for an alleged quid pro quo in which the Duongs agreed to provide financial support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral run and give Jones a no-show job for $300,000 at Evolutionary Homes. In return, prosecutors say that in addition to the contract for Evolutionary Homes, Thao allegedly agreed to help elevate city staffers to director level positions in City Hall at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request and help the Duongs’ other business, California Waste Solutions, with city deals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine told the jury Juarez is “no angel,” and had a “history of doing dirty work” for the Duongs. Still, Fine said, Juarez’s testimony will line up with thousands of texts, audio recordings and taped phone calls they’ve introduced in evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez will return to the witness stand on Thursday, when court resumes, and is expected to face tough questions from defense attorneys.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gym bags of money\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez told the court that he met recycling executive David and Andy Duong around 2008, when he was first running for Oakland City Council, and that he and the family had formed an amicable working relationship. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said after the family supported his two unsuccessful council bids, in 2008 and again in 2012, he helped them lobby for Oakland’s curbside recycling contract in 2014. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They were the underdog at the time,” he told the court. “And they wanted to win.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, California Waste Solutions was selected against city staff’s recommendation, Juarez said. The company \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">won the contract\u003c/a> in a controversial 7-1 vote in August 2014. Councilmember Noel Gallo cast the sole no vote, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/public-works/documents/sustainability/zero-waste-history/ordinance-13254.pdf\">city records\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following day, Juarez testified, a number of people lined up outside the California Waste Solutions’ office to talk to David Duong. He said some came to congratulate him, while others “were there to collect money.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said he loaded cash into gym bags, including one with up to $300,000, and helped David Duong distribute them to those people, including a sitting city council member and another person who he said came on behalf of a “sitting councilwoman.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez told the court that in the months after California Waste Solutions won the 2014 contract, another company who entered a bid wanted to overrule the decision by putting a referendum before voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said he helped the Duongs’ work to block those efforts, in one instance getting into a shoving match with someone collecting signatures for the potential ballot measure.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“After the shoving match… David Duong asked me ‘What did I want?’” Juarez recalled. “I told him I don’t want any cash, I wanted to do business with him.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘Andre wanted to be a millionaire’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They did start working together in October 2022, when Juarez and the Duongs cofounded Evolutionary Homes, which aimed to turn shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. They spent roughly two years seeking contracts with various cities and counties around the Bay Area, including Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just weeks after officially incorporating Evolutionary Homes, Juarez met with Thao in his office to discuss a proposed bribery scheme. In an Apple note extracted from Juarez’s iCloud account around that time, he wrote he had a “1:30 meeting” with Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under it, he said, was an outline he made for himself to “guide the conversation with her.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103338\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home development for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note said the city would purchase 100 housing units, support California Waste Solutions’ deals and appoint key officials in exchange for the mailer campaign. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Juarez also said at that meeting, Thao told him she also wanted $300,000. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We agreed to do it through AJ,” Juarez said, referring to Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In December 2022, Jones received five checks for a total of $20,000, and Juarez said Thao agreed to increase the number of units the city would purchase to 300.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By March, Juarez said Jones was asking for more money, but that he and Thao hadn’t made much progress on their end of the deal. The five met for dinner, Juarez testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We were a little frustrated,” he said. “At this point we wanted to bring the big guns, wanted to bring David Duong to the table to move this forward, to see what was the hold up,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107527\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261030-ThaoTrialJuarezTestifies-23-BL-KQED-689f6cdc-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 30, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that meeting, Juarez said Thao recommitted to the deal — for a price: “The structure [for paying Jones] went from $300,000 to a structure that would make them millionaires.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Andre wanted to be a millionaire out of this deal,” he told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of a $300,000 flat fee, that would be the floor for Jones’ payment, Juarez testified. And, he added, Jones would be paid $10,000 for each unit sold to Oakland. For the promised 300 units, that would add up to a grand total of $3 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout Juarez’s recounting of the alleged events, Thao and her attorney, Tsai, smiled and shook their heads from behind the defense table in the courtroom. In his opening statement, Tsai said Thao had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” he told the jury. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>David Duong’s ‘plausible deniability\u003c/strong>’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said that throughout the alleged scheme, he and Andy Duong were supposed to handle communications with Thao and Jones, so that David Duong had “plausible deniability” if questions came up later.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“He wasn’t here, he didn’t know, he didn’t agree to anything,” Juarez said of the recycling executive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, David Duong’s attorney Jeff Schenk described his client as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman who held the financial power but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“You cannot agree to a deal you didn’t know about,” Schenk said. “You will learn there were texts talking about a deal. They were not texts with David Duong. [There are] texts about David Duong.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Friday, prosecutors asked Juarez about a text conversation he had with Andy Duong in March 2023, in which he said they were expressing frustration that Jones had gone over their heads to contact David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Why AJ only calling him?” Juarez texted Andy Duong on March 26, 2023. “Isn’t he supposed to call you???”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I am going to mention that,” Andy Duong responds. “Wtf ?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were frustrated because, “we had communication directives,” Juarez said, adding that by contacting David Duong, Jones was “exposing” him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“My job is to protect David, make sure he can have plausible deniability, and now this guy is contacting him,” Juarez told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘There’s nothing wrong with karaoke’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the most heated parts of Juarez’s testimony, however, came as prosecutors questioned him about a night out he and Andy Duong had with Larry Gallegos, one of the city staffers they allegedly wanted appointed to a director position, and Brian Azavedo, a former San Leandro councilmember who has also pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from the Duongs in a related scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez said while they were courting Gallegos for the role, “It was important that [he] was shown a good time.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Andy Duong, he said, “was in charge of doing that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They went to a late night dinner and then a karaoke bar Andy Duong owned, Juarez said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said Andy Duong “ordered about 20 girls to come in” wearing very little clothing and dance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was “use of substances,” Juarez said, before the defense raised a series of objections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In pretrial motions, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled videos taken at the karaoke bar inadmissible. She ordered the prosecution to move on from the topic of the night out and said they might be able to return to it later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“There’s nothing wrong with karaoke, generally speaking — unless you hear me sing,” Gonzalez Rogers told the jury, attempting to redirect their attention away from possible inadmissible testimony. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The prosecution will continue questioning Juarez on Thursday, when the trial resumes.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "too-bad-for-sheng-new-recordings-in-thao-trial-reveal-rift-between-former-mayor-co-conspirators",
"title": "‘Too Bad for Sheng’: New Recordings in Thao Trial Reveal Rift Between Former Mayor, Co-Conspirators",
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"headTitle": "‘Too Bad for Sheng’: New Recordings in Thao Trial Reveal Rift Between Former Mayor, Co-Conspirators | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors shed new light on Wednesday on the elusive housing startup that’s at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">Sheng Thao’s Oakland corruption trial\u003c/a> and its founders’ diminishing patience roughly a year into the alleged bribery scheme, as the former mayor seemed to lag on her end of the alleged deal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors played a series of audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings between November 2023 and February 2024 that were secretly recorded by Cecilia Mendez, who worked for the company and is the former romantic partner of government witness Mario Juarez, who’s pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez cofounded Evolutionary Homes with two of the co-defendants in the trial — Oakland recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong. The company sought to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tapes included conversations between Juarez and the Duongs about their efforts to acquire contracts for Evolutionary Homes with various Bay Area cities, including Oakland. In the recordings, they air frustrations with then-Mayor Thao and her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones over not delivering on that deal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Duongs, Thao and Jones are currently facing charges of conspiracy, bribery and fraud related to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">alleged quid pro quo\u003c/a> in which prosecutors say Thao promised to help Evolutionary Homes secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support in her 2022 mayoral election and a $300,000 no-show job for Jones at the company.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine directly examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also allege Thao agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with another one of the Duongs’ businesses, California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s curbside recycler.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez, who said she worked for Evolutionary Homes for about seven months, also told the court on Wednesday about her personal and working relationship with Juarez, as defense attorneys attempted to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">cast further doubt\u003c/a> on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez testified that she and Juarez’s relationship extended back more than 25 years. The two were in a romantic relationship for about five years, have an adult daughter together and are currently “friends,” according to Mendez. They have also worked on a number of business ventures together, including multiple in real estate, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez said that the duo was business partners until last year, and they remain in close contact to this day, speaking to Juarez regularly since she was subpoenaed in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong’s attorney, Ed Swanson, pointed out that Mendez called Juarez on the day of all three of her pre-trial interviews with prosecutors, and as recently as Wednesday, when Mendez said she spoke to him “on my way to the court.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez said Juarez first told her about Evolutionary Homes in October 2023, and he asked her to begin taking notes during company board meetings because the usual notetaker was too ill to attend. Mendez said she covertly made the recordings because she didn’t have note-taking experience, and it made the process easier for her. Prosecutors on Wednesday played excerpts from five of those recordings for the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the first tape, from a board meeting on Nov. 6, 2023, Juarez can be heard recounting to David Duong a recent dinner he had with Jones. In the recording, Juarez alleges that at the dinner, Jones asked him for “more money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say that between December 2022 and November 2023, the Duongs, through Juarez, had paid Jones $95,000 as part of the alleged bribery scheme. Jones’ attorneys have argued that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">he was a consultant\u003c/a> for the company, and that the payments Jones received were advances for his work as a government relations specialist.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the recording, Juarez relays to David Duong that he told Jones at the dinner: “Last time we talked, we said that … you were not going to get any more money from us until you delivered the deal.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later in the tape, David Duong tells Juarez to instruct Jones “to go to Mexico,” where Evolutionary Homes was purportedly manufacturing its housing units, “to collect.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If he goes to Mexico, I’m going to kill him. I — he won’t come back alive,” Juarez replies, laughing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107054\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ed Swanson, defense attorney of co-defendant David Duong, cross-examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city of Oakland never signed a contract with Evolutionary Homes, though Thao and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson both visited the company’s showroom in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later in the Nov. 6 meeting, Juarez said on the recording that he told Jones: “I know that we should have the city administrator assigned to us, Larry Gallegos, to do this project.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have alleged that Gallegos was one of the people who Juarez and the Duongs wanted elevated to a director-level position in City Hall. When Thao became mayor, Gallegos was a project manager in the Department of Economic and Workforce Development, but in March 2023, Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development after Thao allegedly advocated for his appointment. Earlier in the trial, Thao’s former chief of staff testified that the appointment came as a surprise to her, because she didn’t feel Gallegos was qualified for the job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a later board meeting on Nov. 28, 2023, the business owners’ patience with Thao appears to be thinning. They say Thao has reportedly expressed that she wants Alameda County to purchase Evolutionary Homes units before the city does, apparently angering Juarez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I have a long memory, and I’m pretty vengeful,” he said on the tape. “There are consequences to not keeping your end of the bargain, but that’s her decision.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A camera partially obscures David Duong as he poses on the red carpet during a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He continues, “Just know this: I have a lot of friends, a lot more friends than her … All I’m going to say is she is not a trustworthy person, and she does not keep her word, and that’s enough for people and that’s too bad for Sheng.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong counters, saying that instead of putting pressure on Thao, they should “help her out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If you make the deal with me, but now I’m sitting down and find out all kind of [sic] shit that is happening, do I want to keep my deal and then start to create all kinds of problem later on, or big liability later? No,” he said. “You just have to help them where they’re comfortable, where they do it, and without getting them in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong goes on to say that they won’t sell housing units to Oakland by forcing Thao’s hand: “It’s not because I promise you so, ‘Yeah, I’m ready, I will go [to] jail for this.’ People don’t promise and just die because they promised.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another recording from a Jan. 9, 2024, board meeting, David Duong and Juarez also discuss putting Jones’ name and contact information on Evolutionary Homes documents — “because that has to be on record,” David Duong said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12022840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, leaves the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland, on Jan. 17, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez instructs someone who is not identified to “put Andre [Jones] and put his number” on a proposal for a future meeting with a Santa Clara County supervisor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors earlier this week called to the stand an FBI agent who testified that when agents raided the home Jones shared with Thao in 2024, they found no reference to Evolutionary Homes on Jones’ laptop. His defense attorney(s) have attempted to cast doubt on that assertion, pointing to company presentations that list him as an employee, as well as a note that indicates he was going to get business cards made by the company.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under cross-examination, defense attorneys attempted to poke holes in Mendez’ claim that she recorded the meetings for her own note-taking, pointing out that Huang, purportedly too sick to attend meetings, was present for several of the ones Mendez recorded, and that Mendez never generated any notes based on her tapes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Mendez said she did not tell Juarez that she was recording, defense attorneys repeatedly asked her if and when he knew the tapes existed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also tried to cast doubt on both Juarez and Mendez’s working relationship and business practices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While they worked together at Evolutionary Homes, Mendez said Juarez instructed her to write a fraudulent invoice and create an organizational chart for a subsidiary of the company that included names of people who did not currently work there in order to apply for certain permits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Is it fair to say this document was just a Mario Juarez con to get permits for Evolutionary Homes?” Mark Goldrosen, Jones’ attorney, asked her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez replied, “Yes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez also testified that in 2019, she was convicted of identity theft, grand theft of more than $100,000 and acting as a real estate agent without a license. Juarez, she said, knew about her convictions and continued to work with her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez testified under a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106868/key-witness-in-sheng-thao-corruption-trial-will-be-compelled-to-testify\">statutory immunity and compulsion order\u003c/a>, which required her to answer questions on the witness stand despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. 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 cases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors shed new light on Wednesday on the elusive housing startup that’s at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">Sheng Thao’s Oakland corruption trial\u003c/a> and its founders’ diminishing patience roughly a year into the alleged bribery scheme, as the former mayor seemed to lag on her end of the alleged deal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors played a series of audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings between November 2023 and February 2024 that were secretly recorded by Cecilia Mendez, who worked for the company and is the former romantic partner of government witness Mario Juarez, who’s pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors played a series of audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings between November 2023 and February 2024 that were secretly recorded by Cecilia Mendez, who worked for the company and is the former romantic partner of government witness Mario Juarez, who’s pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez cofounded Evolutionary Homes with two of the co-defendants in the trial — Oakland recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong. The company sought to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez cofounded Evolutionary Homes with two of the co-defendants in the trial — Oakland recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong. The company sought to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The tapes included conversations between Juarez and the Duongs about their efforts to acquire contracts for Evolutionary Homes with various Bay Area cities, including Oakland. In the recordings, they air frustrations with then-Mayor Thao and her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones over not delivering on that deal.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The tapes included conversations between Juarez and the Duongs about their efforts to acquire contracts for Evolutionary Homes with various Bay Area cities, including Oakland. In the recordings, they air frustrations with then-Mayor Thao and her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones over not delivering on that deal.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Duongs, Thao and Jones are currently facing charges of conspiracy, bribery and fraud related to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">alleged quid pro quo\u003c/a> in which prosecutors say Thao promised to help Evolutionary Homes secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support in her 2022 mayoral election and a $300,000 no-show job for Jones at the company.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Duongs, Thao and Jones are currently facing charges of conspiracy, bribery and fraud related to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">alleged quid pro quo\u003c/a> in which prosecutors say Thao promised to help Evolutionary Homes secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support in her 2022 mayoral election and a $300,000 no-show job for Jones at the company.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine directly examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106977\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine directly examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They also allege Thao agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with another one of the Duongs’ businesses, California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s curbside recycler.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They also allege Thao agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with another one of the Duongs’ businesses, California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s curbside recycler.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez, who said she worked for Evolutionary Homes for about seven months, also told the court on Wednesday about her personal and working relationship with Juarez, as defense attorneys attempted to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">cast further doubt\u003c/a> on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendez, who said she worked for Evolutionary Homes for about seven months, also told the court on Wednesday about her personal and working relationship with Juarez, as defense attorneys attempted to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">cast further doubt\u003c/a> on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez testified that she and Juarez’s relationship extended back more than 25 years. The two were in a romantic relationship for about five years, have an adult daughter together and are currently “friends,” according to Mendez. They have also worked on a number of business ventures together, including multiple in real estate, she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendez testified that she and Juarez’s relationship extended back more than 25 years. The two were in a romantic relationship for about five years, have an adult daughter together and are currently “friends,” according to Mendez. They have also worked on a number of business ventures together, including multiple in real estate, she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez said that the duo was business partners until last year, and they remain in close contact to this day, speaking to Juarez regularly since she was subpoenaed in the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>David Duong’s attorney, Ed Swanson, pointed out that Mendez called Juarez on the day of all three of her pre-trial interviews with prosecutors, and as recently as Wednesday, when Mendez said she spoke to him “on my way to the court.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>David Duong’s attorney, Ed Swanson, pointed out that Mendez called Juarez on the day of all three of her pre-trial interviews with prosecutors, and as recently as Wednesday, when Mendez said she spoke to him “on my way to the court.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez said Juarez first told her about Evolutionary Homes in October 2023, and he asked her to begin taking notes during company board meetings because the usual notetaker was too ill to attend. Mendez said she covertly made the recordings because she didn’t have note-taking experience, and it made the process easier for her. Prosecutors on Wednesday played excerpts from five of those recordings for the jury.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendez said Juarez first told her about Evolutionary Homes in October 2023, and he asked her to begin taking notes during company board meetings because the usual notetaker was too ill to attend. Mendez said she covertly made the recordings because she didn’t have note-taking experience, and it made the process easier for her. Prosecutors on Wednesday played excerpts from five of those recordings for the jury.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the first tape, from a board meeting on Nov. 6, 2023, Juarez can be heard recounting to David Duong a recent dinner he had with Jones. In the recording, Juarez alleges that at the dinner, Jones asked him for “more money.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the first tape, from a board meeting on Nov. 6, 2023, Juarez can be heard recounting to David Duong a recent dinner he had with Jones. In the recording, Juarez alleges that at the dinner, Jones asked him for “more money.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say that between December 2022 and November 2023, the Duongs, through Juarez, had paid Jones $95,000 as part of the alleged bribery scheme. Jones’ attorneys have argued that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">he was a consultant\u003c/a> for the company, and that the payments Jones received were advances for his work as a government relations specialist.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say that between December 2022 and November 2023, the Duongs, through Juarez, had paid Jones $95,000 as part of the alleged bribery scheme. Jones’ attorneys have argued that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">he was a consultant\u003c/a> for the company, and that the payments Jones received were advances for his work as a government relations specialist.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the recording, Juarez relays to David Duong that he told Jones at the dinner: “Last time we talked, we said that … you were not going to get any more money from us until you delivered the deal.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the recording, Juarez relays to David Duong that he told Jones at the dinner: “Last time we talked, we said that … you were not going to get any more money from us until you delivered the deal.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later in the tape, David Duong tells Juarez to instruct Jones “to go to Mexico,” where Evolutionary Homes was purportedly manufacturing its housing units, “to collect.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Later in the tape, David Duong tells Juarez to instruct Jones “to go to Mexico,” where Evolutionary Homes was purportedly manufacturing its housing units, “to collect.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If he goes to Mexico, I’m going to kill him. I — he won’t come back alive,” Juarez replies, laughing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If he goes to Mexico, I’m going to kill him. I — he won’t come back alive,” Juarez replies, laughing.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107054\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ed Swanson, defense attorney of co-defendant David Duong, cross-examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107054\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ed Swanson, defense attorney of co-defendant David Duong, cross-examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city of Oakland never signed a contract with Evolutionary Homes, though Thao and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson both visited the company’s showroom in 2023. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city of Oakland never signed a contract with Evolutionary Homes, though Thao and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson both visited the company’s showroom in 2023. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later in the Nov. 6 meeting, Juarez said on the recording that he told Jones: “I know that we should have the city administrator assigned to us, Larry Gallegos, to do this project.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Later in the Nov. 6 meeting, Juarez said on the recording that he told Jones: “I know that we should have the city administrator assigned to us, Larry Gallegos, to do this project.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that Gallegos was one of the people who Juarez and the Duongs wanted elevated to a director-level position in City Hall. When Thao became mayor, Gallegos was a project manager in the Department of Economic and Workforce Development, but in March 2023, Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development after Thao allegedly advocated for his appointment. Earlier in the trial, Thao’s former chief of staff testified that the appointment came as a surprise to her, because she didn’t feel Gallegos was qualified for the job. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that Gallegos was one of the people who Juarez and the Duongs wanted elevated to a director-level position in City Hall. When Thao became mayor, Gallegos was a project manager in the Department of Economic and Workforce Development, but in March 2023, Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development after Thao allegedly advocated for his appointment. Earlier in the trial, Thao’s former chief of staff testified that the appointment came as a surprise to her, because she didn’t feel Gallegos was qualified for the job. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a later board meeting on Nov. 28, 2023, the business owners’ patience with Thao appears to be thinning. They say Thao has reportedly expressed that she wants Alameda County to purchase Evolutionary Homes units before the city does, apparently angering Juarez.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a later board meeting on Nov. 28, 2023, the business owners’ patience with Thao appears to be thinning. They say Thao has reportedly expressed that she wants Alameda County to purchase Evolutionary Homes units before the city does, apparently angering Juarez.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I have a long memory, and I’m pretty vengeful,” he said on the tape. “There are consequences to not keeping your end of the bargain, but that’s her decision.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I have a long memory, and I’m pretty vengeful,” he said on the tape. “There are consequences to not keeping your end of the bargain, but that’s her decision.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A camera partially obscures David Duong as he poses on the red carpet during a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103401\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A camera partially obscures David Duong as he poses on the red carpet during a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He continues, “Just know this: I have a lot of friends, a lot more friends than her … All I’m going to say is she is not a trustworthy person, and she does not keep her word, and that’s enough for people and that’s too bad for Sheng.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He continues, “Just know this: I have a lot of friends, a lot more friends than her … All I’m going to say is she is not a trustworthy person, and she does not keep her word, and that’s enough for people and that’s too bad for Sheng.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>David Duong counters, saying that instead of putting pressure on Thao, they should “help her out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>David Duong counters, saying that instead of putting pressure on Thao, they should “help her out.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you make the deal with me, but now I’m sitting down and find out all kind of [sic] shit that is happening, do I want to keep my deal and then start to create all kinds of problem later on, or big liability later? No,” he said. “You just have to help them where they’re comfortable, where they do it, and without getting them in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If you make the deal with me, but now I’m sitting down and find out all kind of [sic] shit that is happening, do I want to keep my deal and then start to create all kinds of problem later on, or big liability later? No,” he said. “You just have to help them where they’re comfortable, where they do it, and without getting them in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>David Duong goes on to say that they won’t sell housing units to Oakland by forcing Thao’s hand: “It’s not because I promise you so, ‘Yeah, I’m ready, I will go [to] jail for this.’ People don’t promise and just die because they promised.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>David Duong goes on to say that they won’t sell housing units to Oakland by forcing Thao’s hand: “It’s not because I promise you so, ‘Yeah, I’m ready, I will go [to] jail for this.’ People don’t promise and just die because they promised.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In another recording from a Jan. 9, 2024, board meeting, David Duong and Juarez also discuss putting Jones’ name and contact information on Evolutionary Homes documents — “because that has to be on record,” David Duong said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In another recording from a Jan. 9, 2024, board meeting, David Duong and Juarez also discuss putting Jones’ name and contact information on Evolutionary Homes documents — “because that has to be on record,” David Duong said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12022840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, leaves the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland, on Jan. 17, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez instructs someone who is not identified to “put Andre [Jones] and put his number” on a proposal for a future meeting with a Santa Clara County supervisor.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors earlier this week called to the stand an FBI agent who testified that when agents raided the home Jones shared with Thao in 2024, they found no reference to Evolutionary Homes on Jones’ laptop. His defense attorney(s) have attempted to cast doubt on that assertion, pointing to company presentations that list him as an employee, as well as a note that indicates he was going to get business cards made by the company.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors earlier this week called to the stand an FBI agent who testified that when agents raided the home Jones shared with Thao in 2024, they found no reference to Evolutionary Homes on Jones’ laptop. His defense attorney(s) have attempted to cast doubt on that assertion, pointing to company presentations that list him as an employee, as well as a note that indicates he was going to get business cards made by the company.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under cross-examination, defense attorneys attempted to poke holes in Mendez’ claim that she recorded the meetings for her own note-taking, pointing out that Huang, purportedly too sick to attend meetings, was present for several of the ones Mendez recorded, and that Mendez never generated any notes based on her tapes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While Mendez said she did not tell Juarez that she was recording, defense attorneys repeatedly asked her if and when he knew the tapes existed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They also tried to cast doubt on both Juarez and Mendez’s working relationship and business practices.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While they worked together at Evolutionary Homes, Mendez said Juarez instructed her to write a fraudulent invoice and create an organizational chart for a subsidiary of the company that included names of people who did not currently work there in order to apply for certain permits.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While they worked together at Evolutionary Homes, Mendez said Juarez instructed her to write a fraudulent invoice and create an organizational chart for a subsidiary of the company that included names of people who did not currently work there in order to apply for certain permits.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Is it fair to say this document was just a Mario Juarez con to get permits for Evolutionary Homes?” Mark Goldrosen, Jones’ attorney, asked her. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez also testified that in 2019, she was convicted of identity theft, grand theft of more than $100,000 and acting as a real estate agent without a license. Juarez, she said, knew about her convictions and continued to work with her. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendez also testified that in 2019, she was convicted of identity theft, grand theft of more than $100,000 and acting as a real estate agent without a license. Juarez, she said, knew about her convictions and continued to work with her. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mendez testified under a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106868/key-witness-in-sheng-thao-corruption-trial-will-be-compelled-to-testify\">statutory immunity and compulsion order\u003c/a>, which required her to answer questions on the witness stand despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. 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 cases. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mendez testified under a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106868/key-witness-in-sheng-thao-corruption-trial-will-be-compelled-to-testify\">statutory immunity and compulsion order\u003c/a>, which required her to answer questions on the witness stand despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. 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 cases. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Prosecutors played a series of audio recordings that Cecilia Mendez, the former romantic partner of controversial government witness Mario Juarez, secretly recorded.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors shed new light on Wednesday on the elusive housing startup that’s at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/shengthaotrial\">Sheng Thao’s Oakland corruption trial\u003c/a> and its founders’ diminishing patience roughly a year into the alleged bribery scheme, as the former mayor seemed to lag on her end of the alleged deal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors played a series of audio recordings of Evolutionary Homes board meetings between November 2023 and February 2024 that were secretly recorded by Cecilia Mendez, who worked for the company and is the former romantic partner of government witness Mario Juarez, who’s pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez cofounded Evolutionary Homes with two of the co-defendants in the trial — Oakland recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong. The company sought to convert shipping containers into housing for people exiting homelessness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tapes included conversations between Juarez and the Duongs about their efforts to acquire contracts for Evolutionary Homes with various Bay Area cities, including Oakland. In the recordings, they air frustrations with then-Mayor Thao and her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones over not delivering on that deal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Duongs, Thao and Jones are currently facing charges of conspiracy, bribery and fraud related to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">alleged quid pro quo\u003c/a> in which prosecutors say Thao promised to help Evolutionary Homes secure a city contract in exchange for campaign support in her 2022 mayoral election and a $300,000 no-show job for Jones at the company.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoSketch_1-KQED-919b0cc9-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asst. U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine directly examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also allege Thao agreed to appoint city staffers to director-level positions at the Duongs’ and Juarez’s request, and extend the city’s contract with another one of the Duongs’ businesses, California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s curbside recycler.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez, who said she worked for Evolutionary Homes for about seven months, also told the court on Wednesday about her personal and working relationship with Juarez, as defense attorneys attempted to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">cast further doubt\u003c/a> on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez testified that she and Juarez’s relationship extended back more than 25 years. The two were in a romantic relationship for about five years, have an adult daughter together and are currently “friends,” according to Mendez. They have also worked on a number of business ventures together, including multiple in real estate, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez said that the duo was business partners until last year, and they remain in close contact to this day, speaking to Juarez regularly since she was subpoenaed in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong’s attorney, Ed Swanson, pointed out that Mendez called Juarez on the day of all three of her pre-trial interviews with prosecutors, and as recently as Wednesday, when Mendez said she spoke to him “on my way to the court.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez said Juarez first told her about Evolutionary Homes in October 2023, and he asked her to begin taking notes during company board meetings because the usual notetaker was too ill to attend. Mendez said she covertly made the recordings because she didn’t have note-taking experience, and it made the process easier for her. Prosecutors on Wednesday played excerpts from five of those recordings for the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the first tape, from a board meeting on Nov. 6, 2023, Juarez can be heard recounting to David Duong a recent dinner he had with Jones. In the recording, Juarez alleges that at the dinner, Jones asked him for “more money.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say that between December 2022 and November 2023, the Duongs, through Juarez, had paid Jones $95,000 as part of the alleged bribery scheme. Jones’ attorneys have argued that \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104365/politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off\">he was a consultant\u003c/a> for the company, and that the payments Jones received were advances for his work as a government relations specialist.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the recording, Juarez relays to David Duong that he told Jones at the dinner: “Last time we talked, we said that … you were not going to get any more money from us until you delivered the deal.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later in the tape, David Duong tells Juarez to instruct Jones “to go to Mexico,” where Evolutionary Homes was purportedly manufacturing its housing units, “to collect.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If he goes to Mexico, I’m going to kill him. I — he won’t come back alive,” Juarez replies, laughing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12107054\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261028_ShengThaoTrial_Sketch2-KQED-ce6dd472-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ed Swanson, defense attorney of co-defendant David Duong, cross-examines Cecilia Mendez at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 28, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The city of Oakland never signed a contract with Evolutionary Homes, though Thao and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson both visited the company’s showroom in 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later in the Nov. 6 meeting, Juarez said on the recording that he told Jones: “I know that we should have the city administrator assigned to us, Larry Gallegos, to do this project.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors have alleged that Gallegos was one of the people who Juarez and the Duongs wanted elevated to a director-level position in City Hall. When Thao became mayor, Gallegos was a project manager in the Department of Economic and Workforce Development, but in March 2023, Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development after Thao allegedly advocated for his appointment. Earlier in the trial, Thao’s former chief of staff testified that the appointment came as a surprise to her, because she didn’t feel Gallegos was qualified for the job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a later board meeting on Nov. 28, 2023, the business owners’ patience with Thao appears to be thinning. They say Thao has reportedly expressed that she wants Alameda County to purchase Evolutionary Homes units before the city does, apparently angering Juarez.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I have a long memory, and I’m pretty vengeful,” he said on the tape. “There are consequences to not keeping your end of the bargain, but that’s her decision.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103401\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_012_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A camera partially obscures David Duong as he poses on the red carpet during a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He continues, “Just know this: I have a lot of friends, a lot more friends than her … All I’m going to say is she is not a trustworthy person, and she does not keep her word, and that’s enough for people and that’s too bad for Sheng.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong counters, saying that instead of putting pressure on Thao, they should “help her out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If you make the deal with me, but now I’m sitting down and find out all kind of [sic] shit that is happening, do I want to keep my deal and then start to create all kinds of problem later on, or big liability later? No,” he said. “You just have to help them where they’re comfortable, where they do it, and without getting them in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Duong goes on to say that they won’t sell housing units to Oakland by forcing Thao’s hand: “It’s not because I promise you so, ‘Yeah, I’m ready, I will go [to] jail for this.’ People don’t promise and just die because they promised.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In another recording from a Jan. 9, 2024, board meeting, David Duong and Juarez also discuss putting Jones’ name and contact information on Evolutionary Homes documents — “because that has to be on record,” David Duong said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12022840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/20250117_Thao-Recall_BL_00009-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, leaves the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland, on Jan. 17, 2025. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez instructs someone who is not identified to “put Andre [Jones] and put his number” on a proposal for a future meeting with a Santa Clara County supervisor.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors earlier this week called to the stand an FBI agent who testified that when agents raided the home Jones shared with Thao in 2024, they found no reference to Evolutionary Homes on Jones’ laptop. His defense attorney(s) have attempted to cast doubt on that assertion, pointing to company presentations that list him as an employee, as well as a note that indicates he was going to get business cards made by the company.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under cross-examination, defense attorneys attempted to poke holes in Mendez’ claim that she recorded the meetings for her own note-taking, pointing out that Huang, purportedly too sick to attend meetings, was present for several of the ones Mendez recorded, and that Mendez never generated any notes based on her tapes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Mendez said she did not tell Juarez that she was recording, defense attorneys repeatedly asked her if and when he knew the tapes existed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also tried to cast doubt on both Juarez and Mendez’s working relationship and business practices.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While they worked together at Evolutionary Homes, Mendez said Juarez instructed her to write a fraudulent invoice and create an organizational chart for a subsidiary of the company that included names of people who did not currently work there in order to apply for certain permits.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Is it fair to say this document was just a Mario Juarez con to get permits for Evolutionary Homes?” Mark Goldrosen, Jones’ attorney, asked her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez replied, “Yes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez also testified that in 2019, she was convicted of identity theft, grand theft of more than $100,000 and acting as a real estate agent without a license. Juarez, she said, knew about her convictions and continued to work with her. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mendez testified under a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106868/key-witness-in-sheng-thao-corruption-trial-will-be-compelled-to-testify\">statutory immunity and compulsion order\u003c/a>, which required her to answer questions on the witness stand despite planning to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. 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 cases. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Key Witness in Sheng Thao Corruption Trial Will Be Compelled to Testify",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The one-time romantic partner of a government witness at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> corruption trial will be compelled to testify Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">“decades-long history” of fraud\u003c/a>, as they try to cast more doubt on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Mendez finishes her testimony, former Oakland Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>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. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>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.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>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. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>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 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">“decades-long history” of fraud\u003c/a>, as they try to cast more doubt on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The one-time romantic partner of a government witness at the center of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a>’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> corruption trial will be compelled to testify Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">“decades-long history” of fraud\u003c/a>, as they try to cast more doubt on his credibility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Mendez finishes her testimony, former Oakland Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to testify.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "oakland-corruption-trial-fbi-agent-expected-to-testify-on-backdoor-dealings-in-city-hall",
"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Describes Texts, Photos Seized From Defendants",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme and is expected to serve as the government’s star witness later in the trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said he was unhappy with them, and that “people recognized it was an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay described evidence the agency collected in its investigation of alleged public corruption in the criminal trial of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three others.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After testimony in the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104960/following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues\">revealed the origins\u003c/a> of the FBI’s city hall probe, a federal agent returned to the witness stand Thursday and shed new light on the evidence the government has in hand. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay spent roughly five hours Thursday describing to the jury the evidence her agency seized in its investigation of Thao and three others, including text messages, photos, videos, phone records, and Apple notes, among other items. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her long-time partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges. All four have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Barclay told the jury the FBI’s investigation began in February 2023, following a tip from Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission that businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, a long-time ally of the Duongs, had printed campaign mailers against Thao’s opponents. Barclay relayed that Juarez made statements to the shop owner, saying he was “expecting things in return” from the candidate those mailers were intended to support. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098342\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-04-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents exit a home associated with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao during a raid in Oakland, California, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme and is expected to serve as the government’s star witness later in the trial.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors say Thao agreed that, if elected, she would help extend California Waste Solutions’ recycling contract with the city of Oakland, appoint favorable city hall staffers to director-level positions and commit the city to contracting with the housing start-up, Evolutionary Homes, that Andy Duong and Juarez cofounded. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Andy and David Duong agreed to fund a negative mailer campaign against Thao’s 2022 mayoral opponents and pay $300,000 to Jones for a no-show job.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, prosecutors showed the jury text messages that the defendants exchanged in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the first few months of Thao’s time in office. Jurors also saw an independent contractor agreement between Evolutionary Homes and Jones, detailing advance payments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s attorneys have questioned whether the negative mailers actually helped Thao’s campaign, with defense attorney Jeff Tsai asking Thao’s former campaign staffer, Noah Finneburgh, during his testimony Monday if the campaign was happy about the ads when they dropped.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said he was unhappy with them, and that “people recognized it was an issue.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tsai suggested that the ad of Thao’s opponent, Loren Taylor, which was photoshopped to darken his skin, played into racist tropes against Black men and could have alienated voters Thao would have wanted to retain. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ethics commission’s tip related to those mailers, however, led the FBI to obtain a search warrant to access Juarez’s Apple iCloud, Barclay said Monday, which included a document he wrote enumerating the deal he allegedly struck with the Duongs and Thao.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Barclay identified the defendants and Juarez in photos and videos shown to jurors. The prosecution also walked the jury through numerous WhatsApp and text messages from Andy Duong’s phone, which was confiscated from his home during the 2024 raid. The messages appear to reveal how some of the promises played out once Thao took office that prosecutors allege the co-defendants had made.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098343\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2000x1333.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-05-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Postal police investigate a home tied to David Duong, one of multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences to members of a politically connected family who run the citys contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one photo, from December 2022, jurors on Thursday saw photos illustrating what appeared to be a whiteboard at California Waste Solutions with words that included, “Oak 300 units” and “Mayor” along with different monetary amounts and arrows pointing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2023, a month after Thao’s inauguration, Juarez and Andy Duong set up a meeting at California Waste Solutions between David Duong and Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prosecutors allege that Gallegos was one of the candidates who Thao agreed to elevate to a leadership position in Oakland City Hall at Andy Duong’s and Juarez’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one text exchange shown to the jury on Thursday, Juarez tells Andy Duong, “I wanted him because while at the City he make [sic] sure my projects got done and grants were given to me.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez also texted Andy Duong about taking Gallegos out to party. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“What dates are good for you to 1. Have Larry Gallegos come to have lunch at CWS with DD and Family if you wish to have him,” Juarez asked, appearing to refer to David Duong in the message. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their opening statement, David Duong’s defense argued that the CWS owner didn’t know about the deal his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. Similarly, Thao’s defense has suggested that she had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments — even if it was being discussed by her co-defendants. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weeks later, on March 10, 2023, the city’s interim city administrator appointed Gallegos the deputy director of Oakland’s housing department, despite concerns from Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson. Hanson testified in federal court last week that she raised her concerns with the mayor that Gallegos was not qualified and believed they were on the same page, until she heard he would be appointed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During another exchange in late March 2023, Andy Duong and Juarez appear frustrated with Thao and Jones about going over their heads to communicate with David Duong and alter the terms of their agreement, leading Juarez to send Andy Duong a copy of the “Deal Points” note that the FBI found early in its investigation laying out the alleged quid pro quo.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104323\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-25-BL-KQED-6aac0858-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We invested money,” Juarez wrote to Andy Duong on March 26. “Time. Talent.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later that day, Andy Duong replied to Juarez: “Aint nothing free or [sic] front cuz we did all that to help her ass win.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Barclay finishes her testimony, former Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons and former City Administrator Jestin Johnson are expected to take the stand. Thao appointed Johnson in May 2023, and he served throughout her mayorship. He \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from the role\u003c/a> in May amid an unrelated text messaging scandal.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Oakland’s governance structure, the administrator oversees city departments and carries out most day-to-day government functions. But they are hired and fired by the mayor, who often gives input on major decisions, including hiring department heads and agreeing to significant contracts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opening statement, Fine said Johnson will testify that Thao directed him to meet with David Duong multiple times and tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom — allegedly the only homeless housing vendor she asked him to visit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "following-explosive-allegations-testimony-in-ex-oakland-mayors-corruption-trial-continues",
"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators",
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"headTitle": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "According to an FBI investigator, an unpaid bill for negative campaign mailers and a tip from a citizen commission helped launch the federal investigation into former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her three codefendants over allegations of bribery, corruption and fraud. ",
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"title": "Oakland Corruption Trial: FBI Agent Shares Misstep That Tipped Off Investigators | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A tip from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland\">Oakland\u003c/a> Public Ethics Commission launched the federal investigation into the alleged pay-to-play corruption scheme at the center of former Mayor Sheng Thao’s criminal trial, an FBI agent told the jury in federal court on Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The testimony came amid protests outside the courthouse from anti-public corruption activists and after a former Thao staffer shed light on efforts her staff made in the lead-up to the 2022 mayoral election to distance themselves from negative campaign mailers depicting her opponents. Thao’s former chief of staff Leigh Hanson also doubled down on her \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">testimony last week\u003c/a> that Thao called Andy Duong a “playboy” who was going to “ruin her career” as the second week of the trial got underway. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong and his son, Andy Duong, are facing conspiracy and bribery charges for their alleged involvement in a quid pro quo to elevate the Duongs’ companies in exchange for $300,000 paid to Jones and support for Thao’s 2022 mayoral bid. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Katherine Barclay testified Monday that the citizen commission that monitors Oakland city government approached the FBI in February 2023 with a report of possible political corruption from the person hired to print mailers targeting Thao’s mayoral opponents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105127\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261019-THAO-TRIAL-PROTEST-MD-06-KQED-8a62a24d-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scott Means, former Director of Oakland’s Health and Human Services Department, speaks at a rally outside of the federal courthouse in Oakland where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and others are on trial on Oct. 19, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay alleged that the FBI’s investigation began in connection with a separate check fraud case by Alameda County District Attorney’s Office against Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, who was accused of commissioning the mailers but failing to pay for them. The District Attorney’s Office later dropped the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme involving Thao and is expected to serve as a key cooperating witness for the government later in the trial. Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Barclay, Juarez had hired Samari Johnson’s company to print a number of campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents just before Election Day but had paid more than $50,000 for the mailers with invalid checks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Johnson later filed a police report against Juarez, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal case against him in January 2024, but dropped the charges after Juarez alleged that then-District Attorney Pamela Price was retaliating against him for refusing to donate to her own campaign. Price was recalled alongside Thao in November 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay testified that Johnson said Juarez made statements to him “about expecting things in return for the mailers from the candidate he was supporting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That information led the FBI to obtain a search warrant for Juarez’s Apple iCloud account, where they found a document on the Notes application called “Sheng Thao Deal Points.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note, which Juarez later sent to Andy Duong in a WhatsApp message, lays out much of the alleged scheme, including the Duongs’ and Juarez’s promise of the negative mailer campaign and $300,000 in exchange for purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes, appointing certain individuals to city administration positions and extending California Waste Solutions’ contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay also said that after an altercation between Juarez and the Duongs at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters in May 2024, the Oakland Police Department brought allegations that Juarez made “against” the Duongs and the police department to the FBI. An attorney representing Juarez at the time told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-fbi-mario-juarez-19545382.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that he was “severely beaten” in the incident.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay said the FBI first approached Juarez for an interview after that.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Former Thao chief concludes testimony\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Barclay took the stand late into the day on Monday, Andy Duong’s attorney, Winston Chan, questioned Hanson about \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104531/former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip\">statements she made last week\u003c/a> regarding his client’s conduct on a trade delegation to Vietnam in the summer of 2023 that Thao and other East Bay officials also attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trade delegation has become a flashpoint in the criminal case, after court records raised questions about who sponsored the high price tag for attendees’ travel, including business class flights, and after \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69557393/235/united-states-v-thao/\">allegations surfaced in July\u003c/a> that another elected official on the trip engaged in “suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thursday, Hanson said that after a journalist had approached the mayor’s office with questions about the rumors, Thao became especially angry with Andy Duong, saying of him: “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch4_VB-KQED-e58e7c6d-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winston Chan (left), attorney for Andy Duong, gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Duong and co-defendants former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Andre Jones and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Insinuating Andy Duong’s involvement and alleged child sex trafficking were revelations previously unknown to the public — and went against the court’s pre-established decision that the government would not elicit testimony revealing the alleged involvement of minors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Chan asked Hanson if she was sure her comments weren’t in reference to David Duong. He pointed to a transcript of an interview Hanson gave to the FBI in 2024, in which Hanson reportedly told investigators Thao was in fact angry with David. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did not back down when Chan pressed her: “She did not mention David Duong, she mentioned Andy,” Hanson told the court. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanson did acknowledge that the reporter did not accuse Andy Duong by name. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Hanson’s testimony, leaders of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12013194/recalls-oakland-mayor-alameda-county-da-take-commanding-leads\">2024 campaigns to recall\u003c/a> Thao and Price held a press conference outside the courthouse, demanding an “end to City Hall corruption” in Oakland. Both elected leaders were recalled with \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacountyca.gov/rovresults/252/\">more than 60% of voters\u003c/a> supporting their removal from office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The same political infrastructure that installed and protected Thao continues to control Oakland City Hall,” the recall leaders wrote in a press release. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taylor mailers hurt or help?\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Finneburgh, a former member of Thao’s 2022 mayoral campaign team, also testified Monday, shedding light on the campaign’s response to the controversial mailer campaign Juarez orchestrated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mailer includes an altered photo of Thao’s top competitor, Loren Taylor. The image of Taylor, who is Black, appears to have been photoshopped so his mouth tilts down into a frown, the arch of his eyebrows is accentuated, his skin is darker, and there is a red hue cast over the image that makes his pupils appear to have red sparks in them. Taylor has alleged the ad intended to make him look angry, following a racist stereotype against Black men.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034443\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250403-LOREN-TAYLOR-ON-PB-MD-06-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayoral Candidate Loren Taylor at KQED headquarters in San Francisco on April 3, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finneburgh said Thao’s staff wanted to minimize the ads, not draw attention to them, since they believed they would hurt the campaign by alienating voters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just didn’t seem credible to me. They seemed like something someone would see and think, ‘just another attack ad,’” Finneburgh said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thao’s top campaign staff went back and forth about how to respond and ultimately posted on Twitter denouncing the ads as “incredibly offensive,” saying her campaign “did not and would never send something like this out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barclay will continue to testify Thursday. She’s expected to speak about a number of documents the FBI obtained from various cell phones, tablets and computers that were collected in the raids at the California Waste Solutions office and inside the homes of Thao and Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong in June 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to remove a description of signs protestors carried depicting a current councilmember who has not been named in connection to the trial.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "former-thao-staffer-says-office-was-asked-about-alleged-child-sex-trafficking-on-vietnam-trip",
"title": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip",
"publishDate": 1792106124,
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"headTitle": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday in the federal corruption \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao-trial\">trial of Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, the ex-mayor’s chief of staff told the court a journalist reached out to her office to ask about potential sex trafficking of minors during a 2023 trade trip to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The explosive allegations come as Thao faces bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges alongside her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong. All attended the trip, which was spearheaded by the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group Duong chaired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the roughly five hours of testimony, Leigh Hanson, Thao’s friend and former chief of staff, also disclosed concerns she had aired regarding Jones’ unofficial and at times inappropriate role in the mayor’s office, as well as criticisms she voiced about Thao’s staffing picks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that after Thao returned from Vietnam, a journalist reached out to the mayor’s office regarding some of the people on the trip who were stopped by customs in relation to “concern that there was drug paraphernalia” and “potentially involvement with young women.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said the journalist told Francis Zamora, Thao’s former communications director, that “there was potential a story would be written about that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On cross-examination, defense attorneys pointed out that Thao also had multiple other trusted advisors who didn’t hold official roles in her office, including Zac Unger, now a city councilmember, who at the time was a leader of the Association of Firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson texted Thao, confused by the sudden change in course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "During the first day of testimony in the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her former chief of staff also testified about her concerns over the role Thao’s romantic partner held in her office and criticisms of her staffing picks. ",
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"title": "Former Thao Staffer Says Office Was Asked About Alleged Child Sex Trafficking on Vietnam Trip | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday in the federal corruption \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao-trial\">trial of Sheng Thao\u003c/a>, the ex-mayor’s chief of staff told the court a journalist reached out to her office to ask about potential sex trafficking of minors during a 2023 trade trip to Vietnam. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The explosive allegations come as Thao faces bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges alongside her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, recycling executive David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong. All attended the trip, which was spearheaded by the Vietnamese American Business Association, a group Duong chaired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the roughly five hours of testimony, Leigh Hanson, Thao’s friend and former chief of staff, also disclosed concerns she had aired regarding Jones’ unofficial and at times inappropriate role in the mayor’s office, as well as criticisms she voiced about Thao’s staffing picks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that after Thao returned from Vietnam, a journalist reached out to the mayor’s office regarding some of the people on the trip who were stopped by customs in relation to “concern that there was drug paraphernalia” and “potentially involvement with young women.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1372\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-10-scaled-e1792105909155.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098348\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and former Mayor Sheng Thao’s Chief of Staff Leigh Hanson wait while former Rep. Barbara Lee files paperwork to run for mayor at City Hall in Oakland, California, on Jan. 8, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said the journalist told Francis Zamora, Thao’s former communications director, that “there was potential a story would be written about that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said when she and Zamora relayed the message to Thao, the former mayor became “very upset at Andy Duong,” saying of him, “I hate that fucking playboy, he’s always been trouble, he’s going to ruin my career.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong did not respond to a request for comment as he left the courthouse. His attorneys said any response would come “only in court.” They have not cross-examined Hanson yet.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao was vocal in her platform about sexual mistreatment of women, Hanson said, adding she was “incredibly upset that potentially some members of the delegation potentially participated.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a co-defendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson also testified she had concerns about Jones’ role in the mayor’s office. He was not a city employee or formal member of Thao’s team, but Hanson said he attended multiple meetings unannounced.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In January 2023, Hanson said Jones attended a meeting between city staffers and the city attorney about the decision to remove Oakland’s police chief at the time, Leonne Armstrong, and place him \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11974985/former-oakland-police-chief-leronne-armstrong-sues-city-for-wrongful-termination\">on leave\u003c/a> after reports that the department improperly investigated misconduct charges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said that the meeting ultimately didn’t occur. She walked out of the room over concerns that having Jones present would jeopardize the confidentiality afforded to city employees meeting about privileged information, she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson alleged that in response to her concerns, Jones appeared to threaten her job, saying: “We’ll see which one of us is left at the end of the day.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That same month, Hanson said Jones also joined a virtual interview she was conducting with a potential housing specialist unannounced. She said she told Thao that she was surprised and frustrated with his presence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On cross-examination, defense attorneys pointed out that Thao also had multiple other trusted advisors who didn’t hold official roles in her office, including Zac Unger, now a city councilmember, who at the time was a leader of the Association of Firefighters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorney, Daryl Tarver, asked Hanson if she recalled that “Thao had a number of advisors who were not employees” and felt it was “important to get community perspective” from people like pastors, business leaders and first responders. Hanson said yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Priedman also asked Hanson about a key aspect of their case against the former mayor: Thao’s interest in elevating Larry Gallegos, a project manager in the city’s economic workforce development department, to a director role within the city’s administration.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have alleged that as part of the quid pro quo Thao and Jones made with the Duongs, she agreed to place their favored candidates in leadership positions, and, according to the federal indictment, that Gallegos was one of those candidates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson testified that Thao suggested Gallegos might be a good fit for the housing department and was interested in elevating him to a leadership role. Hanson said she disagreed and told Thao he wasn’t qualified, but suggested he could be a good leader in his current department. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-05-BL-KQED-aa7cf255-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026, for the opening day of her federal corruption trial. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I was worried about retaining some of our really high-quality leaders in the housing department, and hiring a really strong director would be important,” she testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson said she believed she and Thao had come to an agreement that he would remain in the economic and workforce development department. But on March 10, 2023, Thao told Hanson he’d be appointed deputy housing director. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson texted Thao, confused by the sudden change in course. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“She shared that she had spoken to Harold and that he would be appointed to the deputy director housing role,” Hanson testified. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gallegos was named Interim Deputy Director that day, just one day after prosecutors said Thao attended a dinner with all the co-defendants.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Hanson will continue testifying next week, when the trial resumes Monday.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "politics-as-profit-or-pure-fiction-bribery-trial-of-ex-oakland-mayor-kicks-off",
"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus",
"publishDate": 1792088124,
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"headTitle": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sheng Thao was not for sale\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones had a ‘real job’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">David Duong: A normal businessman\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He referred the jury to a series of texts between Andy Duong and Juarez in March 2023, in which Juarez asked Andy if they should “tell David” about updates to their alleged arrangement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If David Duong was a partner in crime … why, five months after the beginning, does Juarez have to ask if they should share?” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong didn’t break any laws\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mario Juarez: A ‘consummate hustler’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout the day, defense attorneys repeatedly undermined Juarez’s credibility, describing him as a “consummate hustler” and “vengeful” with a tendency to tell “half truths.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the source of the information is unreliable, you see that the allegations fall apart,” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’ll talk about the evidence, what was said in the meetings,” Fine told the jury, “tell you some about his history of doing dirty work for the Duong family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine pledged that throughout the trial, prosecutors planned to present copious text messages, taped phone calls, video recordings and financial records chronicling the conspiracy and bribery scheme — and corroborating Juarez’s claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sheng Thao was not for sale\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "In the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, prosecutors claimed Thao put her political power up for sale, while defense attorneys attempted to impeach the government’s star witness. ",
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"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Trial Brings Alleged Quid Pro Quo Into Focus | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>More than a year after former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> and three codefendants were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022517/fbi-raids-home-san-leandro-council-member-joined-vietnam-trip-sheng-thao\">indicted\u003c/a> in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12103084/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know\">long-awaited trial\u003c/a> got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment to the Duongs’ business, California Waste Solutions, as well as to a housing startup called Evolutionary Homes that sought to turn shipping containers into homes for people exiting homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Sheng Thao was a public official on the take, and she and Andre Jones were open for business,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine said during his opening statement to the court. “David and Andy Duong were looking for results and were willing to pay bribes to get them.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104353\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch1_VB-KQED-1da243ee-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine gives his opening statement during the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong sit to the side, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is not politics as usual,” he said, “this is politics as profit.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each of the defendants has pleaded not guilty, and none spoke to reporters after opening statements on Tuesday. While each of their attorneys painted a different picture of what actually happened between the parties, they all agreed that Mario Juarez — the Duongs’ former business partner and the prosecution’s key witness — should not be believed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The narrator of this story is that person named Mario Juarez, and what you will quickly discover is that the story that has been introduced to you is pure fiction,” Thao’s attorney, Jeffrey Tsai, said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The trial comes more than two years after the FBI executed early morning raids of the home Thao shared with Jones, as well as Andy and David Duong’s homes and California Waste Solutions’ headquarters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The operation added fuel to a campaign already underway to recall Thao. She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12012357/sheng-thao-accepts-defeat-in-contentious-oakland-mayoral-recall\">removed from office\u003c/a> in November 2024 and indicted on the bribery, fraud and conspiracy charges shortly after. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sheng Thao was not for sale\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai painted Thao as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11931400/sheng-thao-oaklands-next-mayor\">young, determined politician\u003c/a> who came into office in January 2023 prepared to tackle major challenges facing the city of Oakland — from a homelessness crisis and budget deficit to gun violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had known Juarez from her years as a staffer in Oakland City Hall, but Tsai said Thao kept him at a comfortable distance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai alleged Juarez repeatedly tried to offer Thao support throughout her 2022 mayoral campaign. When they finally met in October, just weeks before Election Day, Juarez allegedly told Thao that labor unions sent him to help her win, and he planned to produce a political mailer in support of her race.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104424\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/ShengThaoOpeningStatements_Sketch2_VB-KQED-e1ec0350-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeffrey Tsai (left), attorney for former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (second from right), gives his opening statements in the federal corruption trial of Thao and codefendants Andre Jones, Andy Duong and David Duong, at the U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Vicki Behringer for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There was certainly no agreement for any bribe of any kind, no discussion of $300,000 or modular housing units,” Tsai said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said that after her election, Juarez repeatedly appealed to Thao, advocating for city contracts for companies he was affiliated with, including ABC Security Service Inc. — which provides \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/12/17/oakland-leaders-reluctantly-extend-security-contract-again/\">security services\u003c/a> at city properties — and urging her to appoint his favored candidates to top city positions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tsai said Thao repeatedly rebuked his requests and had no knowledge of any bribery scheme promising city contracts and staff appointments.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The evidence will show that the real Sheng Thao is not the profile of someone who would sell her office that she fought so hard to earn in the first place,” Tsai told the jury.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andre Jones had a ‘real job’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jones’ defense attorney, Mark Goldrosen, spent his opening on behalf of Thao’s longtime romantic partner defending the “government relations” role Jones held with the container home startup Juarez and Andy Duong founded that’s at the center of the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-13-BL-KQED-e1d5bdc5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andre Jones, longtime partner of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a codefendant in her federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Goldrosen said Evolutionary Homes aligned with Jones’ interests and qualifications, both in reducing homelessness and working with local governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He was hired to serve as a consultant and would be paid on commission. But as the company got off the ground, Goldrosen said he was paid advances, totaling $75,000, to “keep him available” to Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">David Duong: A normal businessman\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Like Thao, David Duong’s attorney told the court he was oblivious to any scheme. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jeff Schenk described David as a hardworking immigrant from Vietnam and a legitimate businessman. He held the financial power, Schenk said, but had no knowledge of any bribery scheme or deals that his son and Juarez allegedly made with Thao and Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-14-BL-KQED-8b44fd15-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong, co-owner of California Waste Solutions and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, left, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He referred the jury to a series of texts between Andy Duong and Juarez in March 2023, in which Juarez asked Andy if they should “tell David” about updates to their alleged arrangement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If David Duong was a partner in crime … why, five months after the beginning, does Juarez have to ask if they should share?” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Andy Duong didn’t break any laws\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>None of the other defendants’ stories, however, seemed to vindicate Andy Duong — who prosecutors allege spearheaded negotiations in the scheme with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His counsel, Winston Chan, acknowledged that some of the text communication he had with Juarez, taken out of context, couldn’t be denied. However, he said the government had crafted a story based on “cherry-picked” messages and notes. He said Duong’s texts cheering Thao’s victory were not unusual for a politically engaged voter, and his response to Juarez saying Thao would buy housing units from Evolutionary Homes reflected a startup founder’s shock and excitement that a city might invest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12104322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261014-ShengThaoOpeningStatements-23-BL-KQED-11da677f-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong, son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong and a codefendant in former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s federal corruption trial, enters the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Not one bit of these facts equals the bribery scheme the government is alleging,” Chan said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Whether the pieces of evidence the prosecution presents add up to the story of bribery the government has alleged “lives or dies” on Juarez’s testimony, Chan told the jury, and whether, “when he takes the stand, you believe what he says.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mario Juarez: A ‘consummate hustler’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Throughout the day, defense attorneys repeatedly undermined Juarez’s credibility, describing him as a “consummate hustler” and “vengeful” with a tendency to tell “half truths.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When the source of the information is unreliable, you see that the allegations fall apart,” Schenk said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine got ahead of the criticism in his own opening statement, saying of Juarez: “You’ll hear and see, he is no angel.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, he said, the Evolutionary Homes cofounder would “give you an insider’s view of this bribery scheme.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He’ll talk about the evidence, what was said in the meetings,” Fine told the jury, “tell you some about his history of doing dirty work for the Duong family.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Fine pledged that throughout the trial, prosecutors planned to present copious text messages, taped phone calls, video recordings and financial records chronicling the conspiracy and bribery scheme — and corroborating Juarez’s claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“When you hear Juarez’s testimony, will see how it lines up with all of that other evidence,” Fine told the court.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>During the first day of testimony on Thursday, prosecutors plan to call Leigh Hanson, who served as Thao’s chief of staff. Hanson parted with the city shortly after Kevin Jenkins took office as interim mayor following Thao’s recall and subsequently \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/01/leigh-hanson-oakland-mayor-chief-of-staff-whistleblower-lawsuit/\">filed a lawsuit\u003c/a> against Oakland alleging that she was wrongfully fired.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ahall\">Alex Hall\u003c/a> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-is-going-on-trial-for-bribery-heres-what-you-need-to-know",
"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know",
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"headTitle": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each defendant has pleaded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">not guilty\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y907VV5aF78&t=1s\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-id=\"12103337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" data-id=\"12103161\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"758\" height=\"577\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e-160x122.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A text message exchange between Andy Duong and Mario Juarez, identified as Co-Conspirator 1, according to the federal indictment against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their behest, prosecutors say Thao pressured the interim city administrator to appoint Gallegos. Despite the city administrator believing Gallegos didn’t have enough experience for the job, prosecutors say he appointed him interim deputy director of the department the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vTRnkCBK8-xyeC_U6_qwyM9Es3WzLEpRhXB-1oELWuROivaP70Gkh-ll0Dw4g8nEJIEUkVN774ITfpE&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&width=100%25&height=650\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several weeks later, prosecutors allege, David Duong, Andy Duong and Juarez met with an associate of the reporter at a restaurant in Livermore and gave the associate a check for $10,000, drawn from California Waste Solutions’ bank account, to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103404\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong attends a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The defense’s case\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the motions. But in a hearing several months later, she cautioned prosecutors that questions about Juarez’s credibility could pose a major issue for their case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High-profile officials caught in defendants’ orbit\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bryan Azevedo, San Leandro City Council member for District 2, during a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez is also expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he took photos and recorded videos of politicians so he could later use them as leverage or blackmail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over a year ago, maybe 14 months ago, the federal government reached out to me and said that they thought I may have information that would be relevant to the investigation,” Bonta said. “Having never done this before, I wanted to make sure I had an attorney who could guide me through the process and ensure that I provided everything that could be helpful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bonta has not been listed as a potential witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both politicians are included on the government’s list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other allegations \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQfb9Mw6Qsc\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys either declined or did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the video. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103403\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez is also expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he took photos and recorded videos of politicians so he could later use them as leverage or blackmail. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Over a year ago, maybe 14 months ago, the federal government reached out to me and said that they thought I may have information that would be relevant to the investigation,” Bonta said. “Having never done this before, I wanted to make sure I had an attorney who could guide me through the process and ensure that I provided everything that could be helpful.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bonta has not been listed as a potential witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Both politicians are included on the government’s list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys either declined or did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the video. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Prosecutors say Thao used her position to benefit the city’s recycling contractor in exchange for money and negative political mailers.",
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"title": "Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Is Going on Trial for Bribery: Here’s What You Need to Know | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>As former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> prepares to go to trial next week — accused of participating in an alleged bribery scheme with the owners of Oakland’s recycling contractor — a key debate is expected to loom over the proceedings: whether the prosecution’s star witness is telling the truth or if the government built its case on the claims of an unreliable informant. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, 41, her longtime partner, Andre Jones, 55, California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, 68, and his son, Andy Duong, 37, face charges of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud. Andy Duong has also been charged with lying to the FBI. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao pledged favorable treatment to the Duongs’ businesses in exchange for a promise of $300,000 paid to Jones and negative political mailers in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Each defendant has pleaded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">not guilty\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they have copious evidence to prove the alleged scheme, including text messages, emails, Apple notes, taped phone calls and video recordings. But they’ll also be relying on the testimony of a key cooperating witness whose checkered past has become a primary focus of the defense. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/y907VV5aF78'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/y907VV5aF78'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, co-founded a housing company with the Duongs that’s at the center of the alleged conspiracy. He became an informant in the FBI’s investigation after a falling out with the family and has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged scheme. He’s expected to testify about his relationships with the defendants, as well as his role in the housing company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have raised questions about Juarez’s credibility and what they’ve described as his “decadeslong history of fraud” — including instances where they say he falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While primarily focused on the Duongs and their relationship with Thao, the prosecution has also exposed behind-the-scenes interactions between the family and other elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A list of high-profile politicians has been named as potential witnesses who could testify in the trial — including Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins and former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another elected official, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in a related case and is expected to take the stand as a government witness.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jury selection begins Oct. 13 with opening statements planned immediately after. The trial is estimated to last around six weeks, wrapping up around Thanksgiving. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The alleged quid pro quo\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege that in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election, Thao, Jones and the Duongs began discussing a deal that would help get Thao elected and benefit the Duongs’ companies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2022, the Duongs had recently gone into business with Juarez on Evolutionary Homes, a company that aimed to convert shipping containers into housing for people experiencing homelessness. The plan was to market the container units to local Bay Area governments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao at the time was an Oakland City Council member running for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" data-id=\"12103337\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/Evolutionary_Homes_PROJECT_PRESENTATION_-_EHLLC_Model_ONE-copy-2-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Evolutionary Homes’ rendering of a proposed container home unit for people who are exiting homelessness. (Courtesy of Evolutionary Homes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1805\" height=\"889\" data-id=\"12103161\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103161\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022.jpg 1805w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-160x79.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/TaylorFraud-website-screenshot_2_accessed-via-WayBackMachine_11-07-2022-1536x757.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1805px) 100vw, 1805px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A screenshot from the website Mario Juarez allegedly created to attack Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, accessed by the Wayback Machine on Nov. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Wayback Machine)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege the Duongs agreed to finance campaign mailers that negatively portrayed Thao’s opponents in the race, Loren Taylor and Ignacio de la Fuente, and pay her longtime partner Jones $300,000 through a no-show job at Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In exchange, they say, Thao committed the city of Oakland to purchasing housing units from Evolutionary Homes and agreed to help appoint people hand-picked by the Duongs and Juarez to director-level city positions if she won the election. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs’ recycling company, California Waste Solutions, already had a contract with Oakland to provide curbside recycling services, and Thao allegedly agreed that as mayor, she would also extend it. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When it became evident that Thao was going to win, prosecutors say Juarez texted Andy Duong, “So we may go to jail … But we are $100 million richer.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong allegedly replied, “Money buys everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"alignleft size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"758\" height=\"577\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103464\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e.png 758w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/indictment-texts-6651ab1e-160x122.png 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A text message exchange between Andy Duong and Mario Juarez, identified as Co-Conspirator 1, according to the federal indictment against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. (Courtesy of U.S. District Court)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In the months that followed, prosecutors say Juarez began paying Jones, together with money from David and Andy Duong. And they say the defendants began discussing how to expand their deal, with Jones being paid as much as $3 million if the city purchased 300 housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At one meeting, Thao allegedly proposed using Oakland’s emergency powers to make it easier for the city to buy the container houses outside of a typical competitive bidding process. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March 2023, Juarez and Andy Duong began discussing Larry Gallegos as a potential candidate to serve in the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development — a position prosecutors say they believed would help further the Duongs’ businesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At their behest, prosecutors say Thao pressured the interim city administrator to appoint Gallegos. Despite the city administrator believing Gallegos didn’t have enough experience for the job, prosecutors say he appointed him interim deputy director of the department the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=v2%3A2PACX-1vTRnkCBK8-xyeC_U6_qwyM9Es3WzLEpRhXB-1oELWuROivaP70Gkh-ll0Dw4g8nEJIEUkVN774ITfpE&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&width=100%25&height=650\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But prosecutors say Thao’s relationship with the Duongs began taking a turn after she went on a trade delegation to Vietnam in late July and early August 2023 that was sponsored by a business association chaired by David Duong, and a reporter began asking questions about Azevedo’s suspected drug use and activity involving prostitutes on the trip. Thao’s staffers are expected to testify they heard her telling David Duong that if a story came out about inappropriate conduct on the trip, she could no longer work with him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several weeks later, prosecutors allege, David Duong, Andy Duong and Juarez met with an associate of the reporter at a restaurant in Livermore and gave the associate a check for $10,000, drawn from California Waste Solutions’ bank account, to kill the story. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By late November 2023, David Duong told his son and Juarez that Thao wasn’t ready to purchase the container homes and was waiting for another city or county government to order them first, prosecutors say. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103404\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103404\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_004_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong attends a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12103403\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103403\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_003_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after a private screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Then, in May 2024, the relationship between Juarez and the Duongs imploded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Juarez’s version of events, he told police that a group of ten men at California Waste Solutions’ offices beat him up in an attack ordered by the Duongs. In the Duongs’ version, Juarez had failed to deliver on his end of the deal and had shown up at the office, demanding more money and “holding them for hours.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A little more than a month later, Juarez sat down for an interview with the FBI. Agents executed search warrants at Thao’s, David Duong’s and Andy Duong’s homes two weeks later. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The defense’s case\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys are expected to work to undermine Juarez’s credibility as a witness by pointing to what they have described as “a steady pattern of dishonesty and fraud.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In motions filed last year, defense attorneys argued that the FBI had relied heavily on Juarez’s claims to secure search warrants of their client’s property, without providing the full details of Juarez’s background to the judges who signed off on them. Evidence seized should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorneys wrote that Juarez had been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103158\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/260903-ShengThaoTrial-21-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FBI agents raid a home on Maiden Lane where Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao allegedly lives in Oakland on Thursday, June 20, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>They also described a documented “counter-attack history” — instances where Juarez alleged misconduct by others in response to accusations or lawsuits lodged against him. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, they said, “has repeatedly falsely accused business partners of crimes and other wrongdoing in efforts to escape liability for his own actions — just as he did here.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one example cited by attorneys, Juarez filed a restraining order against a man who sued him in August 2011, claiming Juarez shorted him and his wife out of $220,000 they loaned him. A year earlier, Juarez filed a different restraining order against an attorney following an altercation inside a property in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. The attorney was representing Juarez’s landlord, who was trying to evict him and others from the property.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the motions. But in a hearing several months later, she cautioned prosecutors that questions about Juarez’s credibility could pose a major issue for their case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You could have as your main witness someone who himself is a liar. That is the problem,” she said at the hearing in September. “What I can tell you is it is a huge mess, and if in fact there is fire where there’s so much smoke, then the jury gets to hear about the credibility of this individual.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">High-profile officials caught in defendants’ orbit\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While only one other elected official has been charged with participating in a related Evolutionary Homes bribery scheme to date, prosecutors have listed several high-profile East Bay politicians as potential witnesses in Thao’s case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say they plan to introduce evidence at trial showing that Juarez and Andy Duong also bribed former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. In February, Azevedo \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty\u003c/a> in a related case that involved promises of kickback payments in exchange for ensuring the city of San Leandro purchased container home units from Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/250902_SanLeandroCityHall_GH-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bryan Azevedo, San Leandro City Council member for District 2, during a council meeting on Aug. 2, 2025. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Government attorneys say they intend to show documents, recordings and witness testimony demonstrating that Andy Duong and Juarez had discussions with Oakland City Councilmembers Kevin Jenkins, Rebecca Kaplan, and Nikki Fortunato Bas — now an Alameda County supervisor — as well as Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, in furtherance of the charged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez, prosecutors say, will testify that he and Andy Duong discussed potential bribery deals with other city council members in San Leandro, Berkeley and Alameda. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez is also expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he took photos and recorded videos of politicians so he could later use them as leverage or blackmail. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103409\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/241107-AttorneyGeneralBonta-09-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks with KQED politics reporters Marisa Lagos and Scott Shafer for Political Breakdown at the KQED offices in San Francisco on Nov. 7, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/20/ag-rob-bonta-told-he-was-in-compromising-video-amid-east-bay-corruption-probe/\">May 2024 letter\u003c/a> to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Juarez claimed Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in “a compromising situation.” Court records show the FBI interviewed Bonta in September 2024 as part of the investigation into Thao and the Duongs. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065004/california-ag-rob-bonta-wont-rule-out-a-run-for-governor-amid-campaign-fund-questions\">Bonta told KQED\u003c/a> he spent $468,000 in legal fees so an attorney could guide him through that process.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Over a year ago, maybe 14 months ago, the federal government reached out to me and said that they thought I may have information that would be relevant to the investigation,” Bonta said. “Having never done this before, I wanted to make sure I had an attorney who could guide me through the process and ensure that I provided everything that could be helpful.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When asked about the letter, Bonta told KQED he had received it, but said that “the reference to any video is absolutely not true. It’s false, and there is no video.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Bonta has not been listed as a potential witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have filed transcripts, videos and audio recordings of phone calls with elected officials that FBI agents seized from Andy Duong’s phone, which appear to have been recorded \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101387/sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes\">without the politicians’ knowledge\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Two of them capture candid conversations in 2024 between Andy Duong and Jenkins, as well as with Bas, when she was president of the Oakland City Council. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Both politicians are included on the government’s list of potential witnesses. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Also on the witness list is former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson, who Thao directed to tour Evolutionary Homes’ showroom in January 2024, according to the indictment. Johnson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">resigned from his position with the city in May \u003c/a>amid a text messaging scandal that prosecutors attempted, unsuccessfully, to bar defense attorneys from asking about during the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other high-profile staffers who could be called to testify are Oakland’s current interim city administrator, Betsy Lake; former interim city administrators Harold Duffey and Steven Falk; Thao’s former chiefs of staff, Renia Webb and Leigh Hanson, as well as Brandon Harami, a former mayoral staffer who also worked on Thao’s 2022 campaign for mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other allegations \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court filings in the case have described other alleged bribery beyond the specific scheme that prosecutors hope to prove at trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jury will be permitted to view two October 2022 cell phone videos of what appears to be Juarez toasting the formation of Evolutionary Homes. Sitting in the California Waste Solutions conference room are members of the Duong family. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the videos, Juarez appears to describe payments the Duongs made in 2014 after winning the company’s recycling contract with the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys either declined or did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the video. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Further allegations Juarez has made to the FBI about the Duongs paying elected officials are summarized in an August motion filed by attorneys representing David Duong. According to the filing, Juarez also told FBI investigators he had seen the Duongs delete evidence from a security system and that the family used vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys attempted to have those allegations excluded from the trial. That motion was denied.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the filing, Juarez said he saw a “line of people” at California Waste Solutions’ office “waiting to be paid cash” by David Duong.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sheng-thao-case-recordings-reveal-taped-phone-calls-fbi-informant-appearing-to-describe-bribes",
"title": "Sheng Thao Case: Recordings Reveal Taped Phone Calls, FBI Informant Appearing to Describe Bribes",
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"headTitle": "Sheng Thao Case: Recordings Reveal Taped Phone Calls, FBI Informant Appearing to Describe Bribes | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A video recording filed in the federal corruption case of former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> shows a key FBI informant describing the owners of a major recycling contractor paying people after they won a lucrative contract with the city of Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video is part of a batch of files released this month that also includes taped phone calls with current and former elected officials. The calls, which appear to have been recorded without the politicians’ knowledge, seem to reveal close working relationships, and at times coordination, between Oakland city officials and the recycling company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors argue the video shows a critical moment in the alleged corruption scheme between their star witness, a co-conspirator turned informant, and the Duong family, owners of California Waste Solutions, the city’s curbside recycling provider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company’s CEO, David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges alongside Thao and her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://youtu.be/SQfb9Mw6Qsc\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://youtube.com/shorts/D3w672owIBs?si=t5qlWwMQGSXrJs7B\">In the video from October 2022\u003c/a>, Mario Juarez, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme, stands in front of a conference table and makes a toast, professing his loyalty to the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The toast appears to celebrate Evolutionary Homes, a housing company the Duongs and Juarez co-founded around that time that is at the center of the bribery prosecution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. At one point, when Juarez describes “piranhas,” Kristina Duong, California Waste Solutions’ chief financial officer, shakes her head yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify at trial that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez’s toast to the partnership between the Duongs and Juarez took place when the alleged conspiracy was forming, prosecutors say. By professing his past and future loyalty, prosecutors say Juarez was indicating to the Duongs that he could be trusted to keep their secrets and conduct business in their interest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An attorney for David Duong declined to comment on the video and other allegations Juarez has made. Lawyers representing Andy Duong did not immediately respond. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A second video, taken shortly after the first, shows Juarez making another speech. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Minus the profanity,” someone off-camera can be heard saying, followed by another person saying, “Keep it PG, please.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The videos were retrieved from Andy Duong’s phone and are among multiple audio and video files FBI agents seized. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One such file, described as a video depicting Andy Duong, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and others, remains under seal. The video was recorded in August 2023, during a trade delegation to Vietnam that Thao, the Duongs and other East Bay officials attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Azevedo, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty to accepting bribes\u003c/a> in a related case in February, is a cooperating government witness in the case involving Thao, Jones and the Duongs. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he often recorded politicians in case he needed to use it for leverage later on. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Court records show prosecutors are now planning to use many of those recordings as evidence in the trial against the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong, who previously worked for his family’s business, is no longer actively employed by California Waste Solutions, an attorney for the company confirmed via phone on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorney said Andy Duong is “on a leave of absence” but would not say when the leave began or why. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We got the contract, here is your money’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video of Juarez talking about payments is not the only time allegations of wider public corruption have surfaced in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed last month, attorneys for David Duong described allegations Juarez made to the FBI about the Duongs, including that the family has given millions of dollars in cash to elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero, in Oakland, on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the motion, Juarez described seeing a line of people at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters waiting to be paid in cash by David Duong. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez claimed he saw another individual — identified in the filing as Individual 2 — receive $50,000, also in a black gym bag. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the document, Juarez told federal agents he was involved in bribing a political opponent of a city official. Juarez gave the individual $20,000 in front of a Starbucks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs paid two individuals $100,000 each for being lobbyists for California Waste Solutions, but those payments were not reported, Juarez alleged. He also claimed to have seen the Duongs delete footage from a security system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The jury will ultimately decide whether Juarez’s statements reveal truth or not,” her order reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the recording, Thao can be heard appearing to reference then-Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and advising Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao can also be heard requesting to meet somewhere more private. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Four years later, in 2023, Thao was mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had recently returned from the trade delegation to Vietnam when the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.vietnamplus.vn/pm-pham-minh-chinh-receives-politicians-of-san-francisco-post268198.vnp\">prime minister\u003c/a> visited the Bay Area and met with local elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the calls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the January 2024 call with Jenkins, Andy Duong follows up on an invitation to party on a yacht. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Reached by phone, Jenkins told KQED that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the recording given that he is a government witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email, Bas told KQED the city council never voted on or addressed Duong’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As I do with all constituent matters, I forwarded this inquiry to city staff for their independent review,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The video is part of a batch of files released this month that also includes taped phone calls with current and former elected officials. The calls, which appear to have been recorded without the politicians’ knowledge, seem to reveal close working relationships, and at times coordination, between Oakland city officials and the recycling company. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The company’s CEO, David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges alongside Thao and her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://youtube.com/shorts/D3w672owIBs?si=t5qlWwMQGSXrJs7B\">In the video from October 2022\u003c/a>, Mario Juarez, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme, stands in front of a conference table and makes a toast, professing his loyalty to the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The toast appears to celebrate Evolutionary Homes, a housing company the Duongs and Juarez co-founded around that time that is at the center of the bribery prosecution. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. At one point, when Juarez describes “piranhas,” Kristina Duong, California Waste Solutions’ chief financial officer, shakes her head yes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez’s toast to the partnership between the Duongs and Juarez took place when the alleged conspiracy was forming, prosecutors say. By professing his past and future loyalty, prosecutors say Juarez was indicating to the Duongs that he could be trusted to keep their secrets and conduct business in their interest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An attorney for David Duong declined to comment on the video and other allegations Juarez has made. Lawyers representing Andy Duong did not immediately respond. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A second video, taken shortly after the first, shows Juarez making another speech. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Minus the profanity,” someone off-camera can be heard saying, followed by another person saying, “Keep it PG, please.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The videos were retrieved from Andy Duong’s phone and are among multiple audio and video files FBI agents seized. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One such file, described as a video depicting Andy Duong, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and others, remains under seal. The video was recorded in August 2023, during a trade delegation to Vietnam that Thao, the Duongs and other East Bay officials attended. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One such file, described as a video depicting Andy Duong, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and others, remains under seal. The video was recorded in August 2023, during a trade delegation to Vietnam that Thao, the Duongs and other East Bay officials attended. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Azevedo, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty to accepting bribes\u003c/a> in a related case in February, is a cooperating government witness in the case involving Thao, Jones and the Duongs. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he often recorded politicians in case he needed to use it for leverage later on. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Court records show prosecutors are now planning to use many of those recordings as evidence in the trial against the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andy Duong, who previously worked for his family’s business, is no longer actively employed by California Waste Solutions, an attorney for the company confirmed via phone on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The attorney said Andy Duong is “on a leave of absence” but would not say when the leave began or why. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "‘We got the contract, here is your money’ ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We got the contract, here is your money’ \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The video of Juarez talking about payments is not the only time allegations of wider public corruption have surfaced in the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a motion filed last month, attorneys for David Duong described allegations Juarez made to the FBI about the Duongs, including that the family has given millions of dollars in cash to elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero, in Oakland, on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the motion, Juarez described seeing a line of people at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters waiting to be paid in cash by David Duong. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez claimed he saw another individual — identified in the filing as Individual 2 — receive $50,000, also in a black gym bag. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>According to the document, Juarez told federal agents he was involved in bribing a political opponent of a city official. Juarez gave the individual $20,000 in front of a Starbucks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Duongs paid two individuals $100,000 each for being lobbyists for California Waste Solutions, but those payments were not reported, Juarez alleged. He also claimed to have seen the Duongs delete footage from a security system. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The jury will ultimately decide whether Juarez’s statements reveal truth or not,” her order reads. \u003c/p>\n",
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"blockName": "core/heading",
"attrs": {
"text": "‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the recording, Thao can be heard appearing to reference then-Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and advising Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the recording, Thao can be heard appearing to reference then-Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and advising Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao can also be heard requesting to meet somewhere more private. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Four years later, in 2023, Thao was mayor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao had recently returned from the trade delegation to Vietnam when the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.vietnamplus.vn/pm-pham-minh-chinh-receives-politicians-of-san-francisco-post268198.vnp\">prime minister\u003c/a> visited the Bay Area and met with local elected officials. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the calls. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the January 2024 call with Jenkins, Andy Duong follows up on an invitation to party on a yacht. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Reached by phone, Jenkins told KQED that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the recording given that he is a government witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an email, Bas told KQED the city council never voted on or addressed Duong’s request. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As I do with all constituent matters, I forwarded this inquiry to city staff for their independent review,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A batch of video and audio recordings in the federal corruption case of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao reveals taped phone calls with East Bay elected officials and a video of an FBI informant appearing to describe cash bribes. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A video recording filed in the federal corruption case of former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> shows a key FBI informant describing the owners of a major recycling contractor paying people after they won a lucrative contract with the city of Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video is part of a batch of files released this month that also includes taped phone calls with current and former elected officials. The calls, which appear to have been recorded without the politicians’ knowledge, seem to reveal close working relationships, and at times coordination, between Oakland city officials and the recycling company. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors argue the video shows a critical moment in the alleged corruption scheme between their star witness, a co-conspirator turned informant, and the Duong family, owners of California Waste Solutions, the city’s curbside recycling provider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company’s CEO, David Duong, and his son, Andy Duong, are facing bribery, conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges alongside Thao and her longtime partner, Andre Jones. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The four are accused of engaging in a corrupt relationship in the lead-up to the 2022 Oakland mayoral election and in the months following. Prosecutors allege Thao promised she would use her authority as mayor to take actions to benefit the Duongs’ companies in exchange for financing negative political mailers and paying money to Jones through a no-show job. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/SQfb9Mw6Qsc'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://youtube.com/shorts/D3w672owIBs?si=t5qlWwMQGSXrJs7B\">In the video from October 2022\u003c/a>, Mario Juarez, who has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged bribery scheme, stands in front of a conference table and makes a toast, professing his loyalty to the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The day after you won the city of Oakland contract, you were there, paying everybody,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. “Everybody was like fucking piranhas after you. I remember because I was there. I was in your office. And — $50,000, $100,000 — whatever it was. And you said, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I just want to do business with you.’”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The toast appears to celebrate Evolutionary Homes, a housing company the Duongs and Juarez co-founded around that time that is at the center of the bribery prosecution. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the video, members of the Duong family do not correct Juarez when he mentions payments. At one point, when Juarez describes “piranhas,” Kristina Duong, California Waste Solutions’ chief financial officer, shakes her head yes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a July court filing, prosecutors described the video, saying that Juarez is expected to testify at trial that his comments were in reference to bribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The government expects Juarez to testify that this statement refers to the Duongs giving cash to multiple public officials in exchange for their assistance in helping CWS [California Waste Solutions] secure the Oakland recycling contract in 2014,” the filing reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez’s toast to the partnership between the Duongs and Juarez took place when the alleged conspiracy was forming, prosecutors say. By professing his past and future loyalty, prosecutors say Juarez was indicating to the Duongs that he could be trusted to keep their secrets and conduct business in their interest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I defended your family, I defend CWS, I defend them physically,” Juarez can be heard saying in the video. “If anyone fucks with CWS, I step up to the plate, and I think I’ve proven that time and time again.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That very same day, prosecutors say Juarez reached out to Thao to set up a meeting to discuss the negative campaign mailers and the city’s commitment to purchase housing units from Evolutionary Homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An attorney for David Duong declined to comment on the video and other allegations Juarez has made. Lawyers representing Andy Duong did not immediately respond. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys for months have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raised questions about Juarez’s credibility as a witness\u003c/a>, pointing to what they’ve described as his “decades-long history of fraud,” and instances where they say Juarez falsely accused business partners of illegal activity in an effort to escape liability for his own actions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098344\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-06-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">US Postal Inspectors check documents at a home tied to David Duong, one of the multiple properties searched by law enforcement that included residences of members of a politically connected family who run the city’s contracted recycling company, California Waste Solutions, in Oakland, California, on June 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>A second video, taken shortly after the first, shows Juarez making another speech. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Minus the profanity,” someone off-camera can be heard saying, followed by another person saying, “Keep it PG, please.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The videos were retrieved from Andy Duong’s phone and are among multiple audio and video files FBI agents seized. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One such file, described as a video depicting Andy Duong, former San Leandro City Councilmember Bryan Azevedo and others, remains under seal. The video was recorded in August 2023, during a trade delegation to Vietnam that Thao, the Duongs and other East Bay officials attended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Azevedo, who \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073176/former-san-leandro-city-councilmember-pleads-guilty-in-federal-bribery-case\">pleaded guilty to accepting bribes\u003c/a> in a related case in February, is a cooperating government witness in the case involving Thao, Jones and the Duongs. Juarez is expected to testify that Andy Duong told him he often recorded politicians in case he needed to use it for leverage later on. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098354\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2000x1334.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-16-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong exits the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, on Jan. 17, 2025. Sheng Thao, the former mayor of Oakland, was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury after an FBI corruption investigation that centered on City Hall and the powerful Duong family that operates the city’s curbside recycling program, a source familiar with the matter told the Chronicle. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Court records show prosecutors are now planning to use many of those recordings as evidence in the trial against the Duongs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong, who previously worked for his family’s business, is no longer actively employed by California Waste Solutions, an attorney for the company confirmed via phone on Thursday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The attorney said Andy Duong is “on a leave of absence” but would not say when the leave began or why. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t remember when it started. Quite some time ago,” said Doug Straus, an attorney with the Buchalter law firm. “It’s been, at least, many, many, many months.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘We got the contract, here is your money’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The video of Juarez talking about payments is not the only time allegations of wider public corruption have surfaced in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed last month, attorneys for David Duong described allegations Juarez made to the FBI about the Duongs, including that the family has given millions of dollars in cash to elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Juarez knew the Duongs had paid bribes to public officials in the past. It was just how they did business,” the document reads. “Influence with politicians is part of the Duongs’ business plan. Influence came from the money they doled out and from the video evidence they kept.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098817\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/090826_ShengThao-Trial-File_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The California Waste Solutions headquarters at 1211 Embarcadero, in Oakland, on Sept. 8, 2026. The company provides curbside recycling service in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the motion, Juarez described seeing a line of people at California Waste Solutions’ headquarters waiting to be paid in cash by David Duong. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 1] was paid $300,000 in cash in a black gym bag. Juarez knew the amount of cash because Juarez helped count the money,” the filing reads. “The cash to [Individual 1] was definitely for his help in obtaining the CWS contract; D. Duong told [Individual 1] something to the effect of ‘Congratulations, we got the contract, here is your money.’” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez claimed he saw another individual — identified in the filing as Individual 2 — receive $50,000, also in a black gym bag. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“[Individual 2] was angry he only got $50,000; [Individual 2] wanted more money,” it reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>According to the document, Juarez told federal agents he was involved in bribing a political opponent of a city official. Juarez gave the individual $20,000 in front of a Starbucks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Duongs paid two individuals $100,000 each for being lobbyists for California Waste Solutions, but those payments were not reported, Juarez alleged. He also claimed to have seen the Duongs delete footage from a security system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Duong had blackmail on a lot of people. A. Duong used blackmail often,” the filing says Juarez alleged. “The Duongs and CWS started using vague consultant contracts to launder money to various individuals. Juarez knew money had been paid to [Individual 1], [Individual 8], and Brian Azevedo.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed Aug. 27, defense attorneys for David Duong pushed to have the video of Juarez and other allegations he has made kept out of the trial. They argued the allegations are unrelated to the charged conspiracy involving Thao, and could make the jury jump to the conclusion that the defendants have a propensity to commit bribery or have poor moral character. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Allowing Juarez to levy unsubstantiated accusations of obstruction, blackmail, and money laundering will only confuse the issues and encourage the jury to conclude that the Duongs are bad people and therefore likely guilty,” they wrote in the motion. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>U.S. Chief District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers on Sept. 21 denied it, ruling that Juarez’s statements about other alleged bribes can be admitted as evidence. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The jury will ultimately decide whether Juarez’s statements reveal truth or not,” her order reads. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘I’m not f—ing with those bitches’ \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In one of the recorded phone calls filed in federal court, dated April 2019, Thao appears to give Andy Duong information about a closed session discussion related to a legal dispute between the city of Oakland and California Waste Solutions. Oakland had sued the company in 2017, accusing it of overcharging ratepayers. California Waste Solutions then filed its own claims against the city, alleging breach of contract and seeking $5 million.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the recording, Thao can be heard appearing to reference then-Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and advising Andy Duong on how to prepare for a meeting the following day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So in the meeting, this is what you guys need to do, OK? You guys need to prepare and talk today amongst yourselves and how to figure out how to do this because … in the meeting tomorrow, that’s what Rebecca’s going to ask for, because she doesn’t know what the answer is for that part.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260903-ShengThaoTrial-08-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao holds a press conference at Oakland City Hall on June 24, 2024. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao can also be heard requesting to meet somewhere more private. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We just need to be further away from people,” Thao can be heard saying. “We don’t want people hearing us talk about this stuff, you know? But if it’s a private room, I prefer a private room, because we don’t really want to be seen with you guys.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kaplan, who is no longer a councilmember but is still working for the city, did not respond to KQED’s questions about the recording. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Four years later, in 2023, Thao was mayor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a call that September, she vented to Andy Duong about Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran. In the call, Thao appears to express frustration that they were invited to an event. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re going to have to fucking pick and choose. Because I’m not fucking with those bitches,” she says on the call. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao had recently returned from the trade delegation to Vietnam when the country’s \u003ca href=\"https://en.vietnamplus.vn/pm-pham-minh-chinh-receives-politicians-of-san-francisco-post268198.vnp\">prime minister\u003c/a> visited the Bay Area and met with local elected officials. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is stupid. I’m not going to stand around with these two bitches who constantly talk shit about me and make a big issue to their constituents. They’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah, the mayor is gone, she’s in Vietnam.’ You know, it’s like fuck you. Then why are you coming to see the prime minister?” Thao can be heard saying on the call. “Treva’s not a friend of mine. She should never be invited by you guys to do anything that sounds even cool.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao’s attorneys did not respond to KQED’s requests for comment on the calls. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The files also include a recorded call between Andy Duong and Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and another with Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who was president of the Oakland City Council at the time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the January 2024 call with Jenkins, Andy Duong follows up on an invitation to party on a yacht. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong and Jenkins can be heard joking with each other at the start of the call, referring to women as bitches. They then discuss the campaigns to recall Thao and then Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price and Evolutionary Homes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Reached by phone, Jenkins told KQED that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the recording given that he is a government witness in the trial. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the call with Bas, recorded in March that same year, she and Andy Duong can be heard discussing donations to her then-campaign for supervisor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duong then tells Bas that he spoke to Thao and asks if she can put an item on an upcoming agenda to extend California Waste Solutions’ agreement with the city to acquire and develop property at the former Oakland Army Base for a new recycling facility. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Yup. OK. I’ll follow up on this right now,” she says. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email, Bas told KQED the city council never voted on or addressed Duong’s request. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As I do with all constituent matters, I forwarded this inquiry to city staff for their independent review,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sheng-thao-trial-government-asks-judge-to-block-questions-about-key-informants-past",
"title": "Sheng Thao Trial: Government Asks Judge to Block Questions About Key Informant’s Past",
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"headTitle": "Sheng Thao Trial: Government Asks Judge to Block Questions About Key Informant’s Past | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors gearing up for the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> are asking a judge to bar defense attorneys from cross-examining their star witness about certain aspects of his checkered past, along with a shooting that took place in front of his home several days after he first spoke with federal investigators. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The long-awaited trial, scheduled to begin with jury selection on Oct. 13, is expected to feature testimony from that witness, Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative who was a key informant in the FBI’s investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have argued that Juarez has a history of accusing others of wrongdoing when business relationships collapse, pointing to numerous lawsuits they say he has been a party to, including fraud cases involving former business partners. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones and father-and-son recycling executives David and Andy Duong will also be on trial. The four were indicted last year on bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges in an alleged pay-to-play scheme. Andy Duong faces an additional charge related to lying to federal agents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong speaks with guests after the screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao agreed to use her power to extend the Duongs’ recycling contract, commit the city to purchase homes from a housing company co-owned by the Duongs and Juarez, and appoint city officials they selected to work in high-level staff positions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In exchange, the Duongs financed negative campaign mailers targeting Thao’s opponents in the 2022 mayoral election and paid Jones for a no-show job, prosecutors allege. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged conspiracy and is expected to testify at trial about his interactions with the defendants as well as his experience as a co-founder of Evolutionary Homes, the housing company at the heart of the alleged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court records show the government is also asking the judge to prohibit defense attorneys from bringing up a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">text message scandal\u003c/a> that rocked Oakland earlier this year, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thekingoftrash.us/\">documentary the Duongs released\u003c/a> last year about their origin story and arguments that the prosecution of the case is politically biased.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed in federal court on Thursday, government attorneys argued that defense lawyers should not be permitted to ask Juarez about “decades-old” lawsuits, including any actions related to his surrendered real estate license, as well as “unsubstantiated allegations of unrelated fraud, or prior arrests and criminal charges that did not result in convictions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The filing mentions, among other things, a 2016 federal money laundering investigation of Juarez that was closed without any arrests or charges, allegations of real estate fraud and Juarez’s prior arrests and charges for theft and embezzlement, battery and grand theft. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez does not have any criminal convictions, the motion notes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Juarez is not on trial in this case, and his cross-examination should not serve as an opportunity for the defense to stage a mini-trial about any acts Juarez may have committed,” the motion states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A hearing to discuss the pre-trial motion and a collection of others is scheduled for Sept. 11. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069397\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after a private screening of The King of Trash at Regal Jack London in Oakland on Jan. 10, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several defense attorneys in the case did not respond to KQED’s request for comment on the government’s motions. One attorney representing David Duong said lawyers would respond in a brief this week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In April, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied a series of motions filed by defense attorneys \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raising questions about Juarez’s past\u003c/a> and his credibility as a witness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062614/defense-in-oakland-corruption-case-files-motion-targeting-key-informants-credibility\">argued\u003c/a> that the FBI left out key information about Juarez’s history in affidavits used to secure search warrants of their clients’ homes, vehicles and businesses, which they said rested heavily on his claims. Some of the seized evidence should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors responded that they had accumulated extensive documentary evidence related to the alleged conspiracy long before ever speaking with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In their motion filed last week, lawyers with the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued that Juarez should not be questioned about government investigations into his conduct, allegations that he misappropriated funds from Evolutionary Homes and a 2024 shooting in front of his house. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The filing specifically points to a 2024 affidavit submitted in support of a warrant to search Juarez’s bank records following a complaint that he had defrauded Oakland businessman and president of the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council, Stewart Chen, of a $250,000 loan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The affidavit, filed by an inspector with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, describes an interview with Jack Cohen of Balboa LLC, who claimed he loaned Juarez $3 million and that Juarez never paid it back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The inspector also spoke with Andy Duong, who described the Duongs’ and Juarez’s business investment in Evolutionary Homes and their subsequent falling out, the affidavit reads. According to Duong, he and David Duong “fell victim to what he considered theft of their investment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046768\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1-1536x1021.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The government’s star witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, has been a main focus in the federal prosecution of the alleged corruption scheme. (Sebastian Barros/Nur Photo via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To date, the district attorney’s office has not filed charges in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The affidavit was filed about five and a half weeks after a shooting took place in front of Juarez’s house. Several days earlier, Juarez had spoken with the government about the alleged scheme involving Thao and the Duongs for the first time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors wrote in their motion on Thursday that Juarez initially reported to Oakland police and the FBI that he had confronted two individuals breaking into his vehicle, and that one of them shot at him and he returned fire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The FBI believed that the shooting might have been related to Juarez’s cooperation with law enforcement and that he was in potential physical danger,” it reads. “The day after the shooting, the FBI relocated Juarez for his safety and paid for a hotel room, rental car, and per diem for meals for Juarez, amounting to approximately $8,568.07 in expenses.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-OAKLAND-FEDERAL-COURTHOUSE-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12073250\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-OAKLAND-FEDERAL-COURTHOUSE-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-OAKLAND-FEDERAL-COURTHOUSE-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-OAKLAND-FEDERAL-COURTHOUSE-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Federal Courthouse in Oakland on Feb. 11, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The FBI later determined it was likely that Juarez shot first, rather than returning fire, the document reads. When FBI agents then interviewed Juarez about the shooting, he said he shot first after another individual pointed a gun at him, and he thought his life was in danger. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office moved to dismiss a criminal case against a suspect in the shooting in May after learning of Juarez’s inconsistent statements, a document filed in Alameda County Superior Court shows. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the light of the material inconsistencies in [Juarez’s] statement regarding the event and the absence of any physical evidence that would corroborate [his] statement, the People cannot sustain their burden beyond a reasonable doubt,” it reads.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In their motion filed Thursday, federal prosecutors asked the judge to prohibit defense attorneys from questioning Juarez about the shooting, his statements to law enforcement about it and the government’s response. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They also requested that the judge prohibit the defense from asking former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson and former Assistant City Administrator Harold Duffey about text messages they sent each other regarding female city of Oakland employees, which surfaced in May, leading to Johnson’s abrupt resignation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duffey is now a city manager for the city of Brentwood, where he is currently on administrative leave. Both are on the government’s list of potential witnesses expected to testify. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the months following the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991242/fbi-agents-raid-home-of-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao\">FBI’s search of Thao’s home\u003c/a> in 2024, both she and her attorney raised questions about the timing of the raid, which took place several months before a general election in which she was facing a recall. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have asked that defendants not be permitted to argue that the government’s investigation of the case is politically motivated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At an anti-recall campaign event in October 2024, Thao told a crowd of supporters and media that she was innocent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>I am not the target of the investigation,” Thao said. “Unfortunately, like the Jim Comey investigation into Hillary Clinton that swayed the 2016 presidential election that got us Trump, this overreach of the FBI is undoubtedly putting a finger on the scale influencing this election.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">indicted roughly three months\u003c/a> later.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors gearing up for the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> are asking a judge to bar defense attorneys from cross-examining their star witness about certain aspects of his checkered past, along with a shooting that took place in front of his home several days after he first spoke with federal investigators. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors gearing up for the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> are asking a judge to bar defense attorneys from cross-examining their star witness about certain aspects of his checkered past, along with a shooting that took place in front of his home several days after he first spoke with federal investigators. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The long-awaited trial, scheduled to begin with jury selection on Oct. 13, is expected to feature testimony from that witness, Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative who was a key informant in the FBI’s investigation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The long-awaited trial, scheduled to begin with jury selection on Oct. 13, is expected to feature testimony from that witness, Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative who was a key informant in the FBI’s investigation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have argued that Juarez has a history of accusing others of wrongdoing when business relationships collapse, pointing to numerous lawsuits they say he has been a party to, including fraud cases involving former business partners. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have argued that Juarez has a history of accusing others of wrongdoing when business relationships collapse, pointing to numerous lawsuits they say he has been a party to, including fraud cases involving former business partners. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones and father-and-son recycling executives David and Andy Duong will also be on trial. The four were indicted last year on bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges in an alleged pay-to-play scheme. Andy Duong faces an additional charge related to lying to federal agents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones and father-and-son recycling executives David and Andy Duong will also be on trial. The four were indicted last year on bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges in an alleged pay-to-play scheme. Andy Duong faces an additional charge related to lying to federal agents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong speaks with guests after the screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081856\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong speaks with guests after the screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao agreed to use her power to extend the Duongs’ recycling contract, commit the city to purchase homes from a housing company co-owned by the Duongs and Juarez, and appoint city officials they selected to work in high-level staff positions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao agreed to use her power to extend the Duongs’ recycling contract, commit the city to purchase homes from a housing company co-owned by the Duongs and Juarez, and appoint city officials they selected to work in high-level staff positions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In exchange, the Duongs financed negative campaign mailers targeting Thao’s opponents in the 2022 mayoral election and paid Jones for a no-show job, prosecutors allege. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In exchange, the Duongs financed negative campaign mailers targeting Thao’s opponents in the 2022 mayoral election and paid Jones for a no-show job, prosecutors allege. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged conspiracy and is expected to testify at trial about his interactions with the defendants as well as his experience as a co-founder of Evolutionary Homes, the housing company at the heart of the alleged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged conspiracy and is expected to testify at trial about his interactions with the defendants as well as his experience as a co-founder of Evolutionary Homes, the housing company at the heart of the alleged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Court records show the government is also asking the judge to prohibit defense attorneys from bringing up a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">text message scandal\u003c/a> that rocked Oakland earlier this year, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thekingoftrash.us/\">documentary the Duongs released\u003c/a> last year about their origin story and arguments that the prosecution of the case is politically biased.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Court records show the government is also asking the judge to prohibit defense attorneys from bringing up a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">text message scandal\u003c/a> that rocked Oakland earlier this year, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thekingoftrash.us/\">documentary the Duongs released\u003c/a> last year about their origin story and arguments that the prosecution of the case is politically biased.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a motion filed in federal court on Thursday, government attorneys argued that defense lawyers should not be permitted to ask Juarez about “decades-old” lawsuits, including any actions related to his surrendered real estate license, as well as “unsubstantiated allegations of unrelated fraud, or prior arrests and criminal charges that did not result in convictions.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a motion filed in federal court on Thursday, government attorneys argued that defense lawyers should not be permitted to ask Juarez about “decades-old” lawsuits, including any actions related to his surrendered real estate license, as well as “unsubstantiated allegations of unrelated fraud, or prior arrests and criminal charges that did not result in convictions.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The filing mentions, among other things, a 2016 federal money laundering investigation of Juarez that was closed without any arrests or charges, allegations of real estate fraud and Juarez’s prior arrests and charges for theft and embezzlement, battery and grand theft. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The filing mentions, among other things, a 2016 federal money laundering investigation of Juarez that was closed without any arrests or charges, allegations of real estate fraud and Juarez’s prior arrests and charges for theft and embezzlement, battery and grand theft. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Juarez does not have any criminal convictions, the motion notes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Juarez is not on trial in this case, and his cross-examination should not serve as an opportunity for the defense to stage a mini-trial about any acts Juarez may have committed,” the motion states. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Juarez is not on trial in this case, and his cross-examination should not serve as an opportunity for the defense to stage a mini-trial about any acts Juarez may have committed,” the motion states. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A hearing to discuss the pre-trial motion and a collection of others is scheduled for Sept. 11. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A hearing to discuss the pre-trial motion and a collection of others is scheduled for Sept. 11. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069397\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after a private screening of The King of Trash at Regal Jack London in Oakland on Jan. 10, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Several defense attorneys in the case did not respond to KQED’s request for comment on the government’s motions. One attorney representing David Duong said lawyers would respond in a brief this week. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Several defense attorneys in the case did not respond to KQED’s request for comment on the government’s motions. One attorney representing David Duong said lawyers would respond in a brief this week. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In April, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied a series of motions filed by defense attorneys \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raising questions about Juarez’s past\u003c/a> and his credibility as a witness. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In April, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied a series of motions filed by defense attorneys \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raising questions about Juarez’s past\u003c/a> and his credibility as a witness. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062614/defense-in-oakland-corruption-case-files-motion-targeting-key-informants-credibility\">argued\u003c/a> that the FBI left out key information about Juarez’s history in affidavits used to secure search warrants of their clients’ homes, vehicles and businesses, which they said rested heavily on his claims. Some of the seized evidence should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors responded that they had accumulated extensive documentary evidence related to the alleged conspiracy long before ever speaking with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In their motion filed last week, lawyers with the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued that Juarez should not be questioned about government investigations into his conduct, allegations that he misappropriated funds from Evolutionary Homes and a 2024 shooting in front of his house. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In their motion filed last week, lawyers with the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued that Juarez should not be questioned about government investigations into his conduct, allegations that he misappropriated funds from Evolutionary Homes and a 2024 shooting in front of his house. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The filing specifically points to a 2024 affidavit submitted in support of a warrant to search Juarez’s bank records following a complaint that he had defrauded Oakland businessman and president of the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council, Stewart Chen, of a $250,000 loan. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The filing specifically points to a 2024 affidavit submitted in support of a warrant to search Juarez’s bank records following a complaint that he had defrauded Oakland businessman and president of the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council, Stewart Chen, of a $250,000 loan. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The affidavit, filed by an inspector with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, describes an interview with Jack Cohen of Balboa LLC, who claimed he loaned Juarez $3 million and that Juarez never paid it back. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The affidavit, filed by an inspector with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, describes an interview with Jack Cohen of Balboa LLC, who claimed he loaned Juarez $3 million and that Juarez never paid it back. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The inspector also spoke with Andy Duong, who described the Duongs’ and Juarez’s business investment in Evolutionary Homes and their subsequent falling out, the affidavit reads. According to Duong, he and David Duong “fell victim to what he considered theft of their investment.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The inspector also spoke with Andy Duong, who described the Duongs’ and Juarez’s business investment in Evolutionary Homes and their subsequent falling out, the affidavit reads. According to Duong, he and David Duong “fell victim to what he considered theft of their investment.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046768\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1-1536x1021.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The government’s star witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, has been a main focus in the federal prosecution of the alleged corruption scheme.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Sebastian Barros/Nur Photo via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046768\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The government’s star witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, has been a main focus in the federal prosecution of the alleged corruption scheme.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Sebastian Barros/Nur Photo via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>To date, the district attorney’s office has not filed charges in the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The affidavit was filed about five and a half weeks after a shooting took place in front of Juarez’s house. Several days earlier, Juarez had spoken with the government about the alleged scheme involving Thao and the Duongs for the first time.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The affidavit was filed about five and a half weeks after a shooting took place in front of Juarez’s house. Several days earlier, Juarez had spoken with the government about the alleged scheme involving Thao and the Duongs for the first time.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors wrote in their motion on Thursday that Juarez initially reported to Oakland police and the FBI that he had confronted two individuals breaking into his vehicle, and that one of them shot at him and he returned fire. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The FBI believed that the shooting might have been related to Juarez’s cooperation with law enforcement and that he was in potential physical danger,” it reads. “The day after the shooting, the FBI relocated Juarez for his safety and paid for a hotel room, rental car, and per diem for meals for Juarez, amounting to approximately $8,568.07 in expenses.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The FBI later determined it was likely that Juarez shot first, rather than returning fire, the document reads. When FBI agents then interviewed Juarez about the shooting, he said he shot first after another individual pointed a gun at him, and he thought his life was in danger. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The FBI later determined it was likely that Juarez shot first, rather than returning fire, the document reads. When FBI agents then interviewed Juarez about the shooting, he said he shot first after another individual pointed a gun at him, and he thought his life was in danger. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office moved to dismiss a criminal case against a suspect in the shooting in May after learning of Juarez’s inconsistent statements, a document filed in Alameda County Superior Court shows. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office moved to dismiss a criminal case against a suspect in the shooting in May after learning of Juarez’s inconsistent statements, a document filed in Alameda County Superior Court shows. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In the light of the material inconsistencies in [Juarez’s] statement regarding the event and the absence of any physical evidence that would corroborate [his] statement, the People cannot sustain their burden beyond a reasonable doubt,” it reads.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In the light of the material inconsistencies in [Juarez’s] statement regarding the event and the absence of any physical evidence that would corroborate [his] statement, the People cannot sustain their burden beyond a reasonable doubt,” it reads.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In their motion filed Thursday, federal prosecutors asked the judge to prohibit defense attorneys from questioning Juarez about the shooting, his statements to law enforcement about it and the government’s response. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In their motion filed Thursday, federal prosecutors asked the judge to prohibit defense attorneys from questioning Juarez about the shooting, his statements to law enforcement about it and the government’s response. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>They also requested that the judge prohibit the defense from asking former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson and former Assistant City Administrator Harold Duffey about text messages they sent each other regarding female city of Oakland employees, which surfaced in May, leading to Johnson’s abrupt resignation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>They also requested that the judge prohibit the defense from asking former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson and former Assistant City Administrator Harold Duffey about text messages they sent each other regarding female city of Oakland employees, which surfaced in May, leading to Johnson’s abrupt resignation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Duffey is now a city manager for the city of Brentwood, where he is currently on administrative leave. Both are on the government’s list of potential witnesses expected to testify. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Duffey is now a city manager for the city of Brentwood, where he is currently on administrative leave. Both are on the government’s list of potential witnesses expected to testify. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the months following the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991242/fbi-agents-raid-home-of-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao\">FBI’s search of Thao’s home\u003c/a> in 2024, both she and her attorney raised questions about the timing of the raid, which took place several months before a general election in which she was facing a recall. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the months following the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991242/fbi-agents-raid-home-of-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao\">FBI’s search of Thao’s home\u003c/a> in 2024, both she and her attorney raised questions about the timing of the raid, which took place several months before a general election in which she was facing a recall. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have asked that defendants not be permitted to argue that the government’s investigation of the case is politically motivated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have asked that defendants not be permitted to argue that the government’s investigation of the case is politically motivated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>At an anti-recall campaign event in October 2024, Thao told a crowd of supporters and media that she was innocent. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>I am not the target of the investigation,” Thao said. “Unfortunately, like the Jim Comey investigation into Hillary Clinton that swayed the 2016 presidential election that got us Trump, this overreach of the FBI is undoubtedly putting a finger on the scale influencing this election.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>I am not the target of the investigation,” Thao said. “Unfortunately, like the Jim Comey investigation into Hillary Clinton that swayed the 2016 presidential election that got us Trump, this overreach of the FBI is undoubtedly putting a finger on the scale influencing this election.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">indicted roughly three months\u003c/a> later.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">indicted roughly three months\u003c/a> later.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The government’s star witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, and his checkered past have been a main focus in the federal prosecution of the alleged corruption scheme.",
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"title": "Sheng Thao Trial: Government Asks Judge to Block Questions About Key Informant’s Past | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors gearing up for the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sheng-thao\">Sheng Thao\u003c/a> are asking a judge to bar defense attorneys from cross-examining their star witness about certain aspects of his checkered past, along with a shooting that took place in front of his home several days after he first spoke with federal investigators. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The long-awaited trial, scheduled to begin with jury selection on Oct. 13, is expected to feature testimony from that witness, Mario Juarez, an Oakland businessman and political operative who was a key informant in the FBI’s investigation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Defense attorneys have argued that Juarez has a history of accusing others of wrongdoing when business relationships collapse, pointing to numerous lawsuits they say he has been a party to, including fraud cases involving former business partners. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones and father-and-son recycling executives David and Andy Duong will also be on trial. The four were indicted last year on bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges in an alleged pay-to-play scheme. Andy Duong faces an additional charge related to lying to federal agents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081856\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Andy Duong speaks with guests after the screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors allege Thao agreed to use her power to extend the Duongs’ recycling contract, commit the city to purchase homes from a housing company co-owned by the Duongs and Juarez, and appoint city officials they selected to work in high-level staff positions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In exchange, the Duongs financed negative campaign mailers targeting Thao’s opponents in the 2022 mayoral election and paid Jones for a no-show job, prosecutors allege. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>All four defendants have pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez has pleaded guilty to participating in the alleged conspiracy and is expected to testify at trial about his interactions with the defendants as well as his experience as a co-founder of Evolutionary Homes, the housing company at the heart of the alleged conspiracy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Court records show the government is also asking the judge to prohibit defense attorneys from bringing up a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091317/oakland-councilmember-proposes-a-409000-severance-for-former-city-administrator\">text message scandal\u003c/a> that rocked Oakland earlier this year, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thekingoftrash.us/\">documentary the Duongs released\u003c/a> last year about their origin story and arguments that the prosecution of the case is politically biased.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a motion filed in federal court on Thursday, government attorneys argued that defense lawyers should not be permitted to ask Juarez about “decades-old” lawsuits, including any actions related to his surrendered real estate license, as well as “unsubstantiated allegations of unrelated fraud, or prior arrests and criminal charges that did not result in convictions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The filing mentions, among other things, a 2016 federal money laundering investigation of Juarez that was closed without any arrests or charges, allegations of real estate fraud and Juarez’s prior arrests and charges for theft and embezzlement, battery and grand theft. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Juarez does not have any criminal convictions, the motion notes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Juarez is not on trial in this case, and his cross-examination should not serve as an opportunity for the defense to stage a mini-trial about any acts Juarez may have committed,” the motion states. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A hearing to discuss the pre-trial motion and a collection of others is scheduled for Sept. 11. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12069397\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011026_KINGOFTRASH-_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">David Duong talks with attendees after a private screening of The King of Trash at Regal Jack London in Oakland on Jan. 10, 2026. (Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Several defense attorneys in the case did not respond to KQED’s request for comment on the government’s motions. One attorney representing David Duong said lawyers would respond in a brief this week. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In April, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied a series of motions filed by defense attorneys \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">raising questions about Juarez’s past\u003c/a> and his credibility as a witness. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062614/defense-in-oakland-corruption-case-files-motion-targeting-key-informants-credibility\">argued\u003c/a> that the FBI left out key information about Juarez’s history in affidavits used to secure search warrants of their clients’ homes, vehicles and businesses, which they said rested heavily on his claims. Some of the seized evidence should be suppressed, they argued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors responded that they had accumulated extensive documentary evidence related to the alleged conspiracy long before ever speaking with Juarez. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In their motion filed last week, lawyers with the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued that Juarez should not be questioned about government investigations into his conduct, allegations that he misappropriated funds from Evolutionary Homes and a 2024 shooting in front of his house. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The filing specifically points to a 2024 affidavit submitted in support of a warrant to search Juarez’s bank records following a complaint that he had defrauded Oakland businessman and president of the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council, Stewart Chen, of a $250,000 loan. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The affidavit, filed by an inspector with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, describes an interview with Jack Cohen of Balboa LLC, who claimed he loaned Juarez $3 million and that Juarez never paid it back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The inspector also spoke with Andy Duong, who described the Duongs’ and Juarez’s business investment in Evolutionary Homes and their subsequent falling out, the affidavit reads. According to Duong, he and David Duong “fell victim to what he considered theft of their investment.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046768\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/FBIJacketGetty1-1536x1021.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The government’s star witness, Oakland businessman and political operative Mario Juarez, has been a main focus in the federal prosecution of the alleged corruption scheme. (Sebastian Barros/Nur Photo via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>To date, the district attorney’s office has not filed charges in the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The affidavit was filed about five and a half weeks after a shooting took place in front of Juarez’s house. Several days earlier, Juarez had spoken with the government about the alleged scheme involving Thao and the Duongs for the first time.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors wrote in their motion on Thursday that Juarez initially reported to Oakland police and the FBI that he had confronted two individuals breaking into his vehicle, and that one of them shot at him and he returned fire. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The FBI believed that the shooting might have been related to Juarez’s cooperation with law enforcement and that he was in potential physical danger,” it reads. “The day after the shooting, the FBI relocated Juarez for his safety and paid for a hotel room, rental car, and per diem for meals for Juarez, amounting to approximately $8,568.07 in expenses.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-OAKLAND-FEDERAL-COURTHOUSE-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12073250\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-OAKLAND-FEDERAL-COURTHOUSE-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-OAKLAND-FEDERAL-COURTHOUSE-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-OAKLAND-FEDERAL-COURTHOUSE-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Federal Courthouse in Oakland on Feb. 11, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The FBI later determined it was likely that Juarez shot first, rather than returning fire, the document reads. When FBI agents then interviewed Juarez about the shooting, he said he shot first after another individual pointed a gun at him, and he thought his life was in danger. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office moved to dismiss a criminal case against a suspect in the shooting in May after learning of Juarez’s inconsistent statements, a document filed in Alameda County Superior Court shows. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In the light of the material inconsistencies in [Juarez’s] statement regarding the event and the absence of any physical evidence that would corroborate [his] statement, the People cannot sustain their burden beyond a reasonable doubt,” it reads.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In their motion filed Thursday, federal prosecutors asked the judge to prohibit defense attorneys from questioning Juarez about the shooting, his statements to law enforcement about it and the government’s response. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>They also requested that the judge prohibit the defense from asking former Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson and former Assistant City Administrator Harold Duffey about text messages they sent each other regarding female city of Oakland employees, which surfaced in May, leading to Johnson’s abrupt resignation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Duffey is now a city manager for the city of Brentwood, where he is currently on administrative leave. Both are on the government’s list of potential witnesses expected to testify. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the months following the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991242/fbi-agents-raid-home-of-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao\">FBI’s search of Thao’s home\u003c/a> in 2024, both she and her attorney raised questions about the timing of the raid, which took place several months before a general election in which she was facing a recall. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors have asked that defendants not be permitted to argue that the government’s investigation of the case is politically motivated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>At an anti-recall campaign event in October 2024, Thao told a crowd of supporters and media that she was innocent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>I am not the target of the investigation,” Thao said. “Unfortunately, like the Jim Comey investigation into Hillary Clinton that swayed the 2016 presidential election that got us Trump, this overreach of the FBI is undoubtedly putting a finger on the scale influencing this election.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">indicted roughly three months\u003c/a> later.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>One year after taking office, Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/barbara-lee\">Barbara Lee\u003c/a> signaled that she would seek another bid for a full term and laid out an ambitious plan to rework city government, even as her administration navigates a recent personnel crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re doing the work that Oaklanders deserve,” Lee told KQED on Wednesday. “But we have a lot more to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee, who was elected last April to replace former Mayor Sheng Thao after a historic and contentious 2024 recall, was elected amidst an estimated $87 million budget shortfall and local concerns about corruption, homelessness, public safety and crime. A deal to sell the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036060/oakland-pushes-coliseum-sale-next-year-delaying-funds-again\">Oakland Coliseum had fallen apart,\u003c/a> and the Oakland A’s, the city’s last major professional sports team, moved to Sacramento, dealing another blow to the city’s identity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the face of these challenges, Lee promised Oakland “stability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I looked at what was taking place in the city because of that instability and chaos and divisiveness, I thought it was the best decision to make for the good of the city to first come in and say we’re going to try to minimize the chaos and the confusion,” Lee said. “And create a path forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That vision was tested last week, when public records revealed a series of inappropriate text messages City Administrator Jestin Johnson had sent about female colleagues in 2024. In one, Johnson described a female subordinate as his “kryptonite,” and wrote: “My goodness, [she] has a helluva walk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078519\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Barbara Lee, Kyra Mungia, co-founder of Rooted, politicians, teachers and supporters participate in a ribbon cutting during a press conference announcing new affordable housing for Oakland Unified School District teachers and school employees at a recently purchased residential building in Oakland on April 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lee said she was unaware of the texts until they became public and opened an investigation in response. She accepted Johnson’s resignation on Sunday and appointed Assistant City Administrator Betsy Lake as his interim replacement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I acted decisively,” Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The texts surfaced alongside documents subpoenaed during the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064908/judge-sets-2026-trial-date-in-bribery-case-of-former-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao\"> FBI’s ongoing corruption investigation\u003c/a> into Thao, who appointed Johnson as city administrator in 2023 to oversee the city’s day-to-day operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other messages from 2024, Johnson texted former Assistant City Administrator Harold Duffey, saying a female department head “had me a little giddy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m telling you, you have to sit next to her,” Johnson said. “I have to force myself to only look into her eyes.”[aside postID=news_12078453 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OakTeacherHousing-32-BL_qed.jpg']Lee alluded to Johnson when she said that she kept former members of Thao’s staff on when she took office a year ago because of the need for stability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanted a smooth transition,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That pursuit has guided much of the former East Bay representative’s first year in mayoral office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She released her first \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/News-Releases/Oakland-Mayor-Releases-Mid-Cycle-Budget-Measure-E-Spending-Plan\">budget proposal for 2026-27\u003c/a> on Friday, which will determine whether Oakland can maintain or increase critical services, or whether cuts are on the way. Lee has pinned many of her ambitions on Measure E, a new parcel tax on the June ballot that could add $34 million in additional revenue each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee also pointed to her success in reinstating a \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Government/Working-for-Oakland/Summer-Jobs-and-Internships-for-Youth/Youth-Employment-and-Training\">summer youth employment program\u003c/a>, bringing two new banks to the city and using new AI drone technology to crack down on illegal dumping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She has deliberately avoided public fights with the City Council, describing her approach as one of “restraint.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some wonder why I don’t exercise my authority breaking ties,” she said. “Why would I break a tie to create more instability?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her reasoning, she said, is that Oakland needs to change how it’s perceived in order to compete for business investment — and the jobs and economic activity that come with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12015107\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12015107 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-800x449.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1920x1078.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee reflected on her first anniversary in office this week. The former East Bay representative promised Oaklanders continued stability and growth. \u003ccite>(Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I wanted to be able to show the rest of the country and the world and Wall Street that the chaos was going to end,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Lee, another way to encourage stability in Oakland is to change the government’s structure. Lee and Council President Kevin Jenkins are pushing a ballot measure to turn Oakland into a “strong mayor” city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland currently operates under a hybrid form of government where power is split between the mayor, city administrator and city council. Lee said that the arrangement makes it difficult to hold anyone accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Any form of a hybrid creates confusion, chaos and is really frustrating for residents because they don’t know where the buck stops,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the proposal, power would be concentrated in the mayor’s office, giving the mayor veto power over City Council votes, including the budget, and more direct oversight of city departments. Council could still override a veto with a two-thirds vote. The measure would strengthen the council in other ways, making it full-time instead of part-time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038000\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland City Hall in Oakland on April 28, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The council’s Rules and Legislation Committee is set to hear the official proposal tomorrow and will decide whether to place it before voters on the November ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, only San Francisco currently uses a true “strong mayor” system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some critics see Lee’s proposal as a power grab. But Lee rejected that characterization, instead arguing that it would make the city more efficient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t need to be involved in a power struggle with anybody in Oakland,” Lee said. “I want this city to function, I want the services to be delivered, and I want you to know who’s accountable, whether it’s me as mayor or whoever is elected as mayor.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/eastbay/article/barbara-lee-oakland-mayor-one-year-mark-22265580.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that she would formally announce after the June primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I look forward to actually another four years as mayor,” she told KQED. “We have many challenges but many opportunities, and I’m determined that Oakland is going to be the cleanest and safest city in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>One year after taking office, Oakland Mayor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/barbara-lee\">Barbara Lee\u003c/a> signaled that she would seek another bid for a full term and laid out an ambitious plan to rework city government, even as her administration navigates a recent personnel crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re doing the work that Oaklanders deserve,” Lee told KQED on Wednesday. “But we have a lot more to do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee, who was elected last April to replace former Mayor Sheng Thao after a historic and contentious 2024 recall, was elected amidst an estimated $87 million budget shortfall and local concerns about corruption, homelessness, public safety and crime. A deal to sell the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12036060/oakland-pushes-coliseum-sale-next-year-delaying-funds-again\">Oakland Coliseum had fallen apart,\u003c/a> and the Oakland A’s, the city’s last major professional sports team, moved to Sacramento, dealing another blow to the city’s identity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the face of these challenges, Lee promised Oakland “stability.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I looked at what was taking place in the city because of that instability and chaos and divisiveness, I thought it was the best decision to make for the good of the city to first come in and say we’re going to try to minimize the chaos and the confusion,” Lee said. “And create a path forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That vision was tested last week, when public records revealed a series of inappropriate text messages City Administrator Jestin Johnson had sent about female colleagues in 2024. In one, Johnson described a female subordinate as his “kryptonite,” and wrote: “My goodness, [she] has a helluva walk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078519\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078519\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-OAKTEACHERHOUSING-30-BL_QED-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor Barbara Lee, Kyra Mungia, co-founder of Rooted, politicians, teachers and supporters participate in a ribbon cutting during a press conference announcing new affordable housing for Oakland Unified School District teachers and school employees at a recently purchased residential building in Oakland on April 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lee said she was unaware of the texts until they became public and opened an investigation in response. She accepted Johnson’s resignation on Sunday and appointed Assistant City Administrator Betsy Lake as his interim replacement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I acted decisively,” Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The texts surfaced alongside documents subpoenaed during the\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064908/judge-sets-2026-trial-date-in-bribery-case-of-former-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao\"> FBI’s ongoing corruption investigation\u003c/a> into Thao, who appointed Johnson as city administrator in 2023 to oversee the city’s day-to-day operations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other messages from 2024, Johnson texted former Assistant City Administrator Harold Duffey, saying a female department head “had me a little giddy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m telling you, you have to sit next to her,” Johnson said. “I have to force myself to only look into her eyes.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Lee alluded to Johnson when she said that she kept former members of Thao’s staff on when she took office a year ago because of the need for stability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wanted a smooth transition,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That pursuit has guided much of the former East Bay representative’s first year in mayoral office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She released her first \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/News-Releases/Oakland-Mayor-Releases-Mid-Cycle-Budget-Measure-E-Spending-Plan\">budget proposal for 2026-27\u003c/a> on Friday, which will determine whether Oakland can maintain or increase critical services, or whether cuts are on the way. Lee has pinned many of her ambitions on Measure E, a new parcel tax on the June ballot that could add $34 million in additional revenue each year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee also pointed to her success in reinstating a \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Government/Working-for-Oakland/Summer-Jobs-and-Internships-for-Youth/Youth-Employment-and-Training\">summer youth employment program\u003c/a>, bringing two new banks to the city and using new AI drone technology to crack down on illegal dumping.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She has deliberately avoided public fights with the City Council, describing her approach as one of “restraint.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Some wonder why I don’t exercise my authority breaking ties,” she said. “Why would I break a tie to create more instability?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her reasoning, she said, is that Oakland needs to change how it’s perceived in order to compete for business investment — and the jobs and economic activity that come with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12015107\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12015107 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1123\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-800x449.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1020x573.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/OaklandGetty-1920x1078.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee reflected on her first anniversary in office this week. The former East Bay representative promised Oaklanders continued stability and growth. \u003ccite>(Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I wanted to be able to show the rest of the country and the world and Wall Street that the chaos was going to end,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Lee, another way to encourage stability in Oakland is to change the government’s structure. Lee and Council President Kevin Jenkins are pushing a ballot measure to turn Oakland into a “strong mayor” city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland currently operates under a hybrid form of government where power is split between the mayor, city administrator and city council. Lee said that the arrangement makes it difficult to hold anyone accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Any form of a hybrid creates confusion, chaos and is really frustrating for residents because they don’t know where the buck stops,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the proposal, power would be concentrated in the mayor’s office, giving the mayor veto power over City Council votes, including the budget, and more direct oversight of city departments. Council could still override a veto with a two-thirds vote. The measure would strengthen the council in other ways, making it full-time instead of part-time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12038000\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12038000\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland City Hall in Oakland on April 28, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The council’s Rules and Legislation Committee is set to hear the official proposal tomorrow and will decide whether to place it before voters on the November ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, only San Francisco currently uses a true “strong mayor” system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some critics see Lee’s proposal as a power grab. But Lee rejected that characterization, instead arguing that it would make the city more efficient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t need to be involved in a power struggle with anybody in Oakland,” Lee said. “I want this city to function, I want the services to be delivered, and I want you to know who’s accountable, whether it’s me as mayor or whoever is elected as mayor.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee told the \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/eastbay/article/barbara-lee-oakland-mayor-one-year-mark-22265580.php\">\u003cem>San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em>\u003c/a> that she would formally announce after the June primary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I look forward to actually another four years as mayor,” she told KQED. “We have many challenges but many opportunities, and I’m determined that Oakland is going to be the cleanest and safest city in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>A federal judge in Oakland has publicly revealed the identity of a key FBI informant in the corruption case against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">Mario Juarez\u003c/a>, a longtime Oakland businessman and former city council candidate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juarez is named in an order issued Monday and unsealed Tuesday, denying \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062614/defense-in-oakland-corruption-case-files-motion-targeting-key-informants-credibility\">several motions\u003c/a> to suppress evidence in the case. The motions had questioned Juarez’s credibility as an informant and the FBI’s reliance on his statements to secure search warrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to court records, Juarez began working with the FBI in 2024, mere weeks before agents conducted highly publicized raids on Thao and the other defendants’ homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While his presence has loomed large in the case, he had yet to be publicly identified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thao was charged with bribery, conspiracy and fraud in an eight-count indictment in January last year. Her longtime partner, Andre Jones, and father and son recycling executives David and Andy Duong, were also charged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Duongs own California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s current curbside recycling contractor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081856\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081856\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andy Duong speaks with guests after the screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The indictment alleges a pay-to-play scheme in which the Duongs made payments to Jones through a no-show job and financed political mailers attacking Thao’s opponents in the 2022 mayoral race. In exchange, Thao promised to extend the Duongs’ recycling contract and commit the city to purchasing shipping containers converted into housing for the homeless from a company the Duongs co-owned, according to federal prosecutors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The indictment also describes a fifth person who was allegedly involved in the scheme but has not been charged. That individual, now confirmed to be Juarez, is identified in the indictment as “CO-CONSPIRATOR 1.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The motions, filed by Thao and the other defendants, had accused the FBI of failing to leave out key information about Juarez’s past in affidavits used to secure search warrants of their homes, vehicles and businesses.[aside postID=news_12071314 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/IMG_1338-2000x1500.jpg']In their motions, the defendants alleged the FBI failed to disclose that Juarez has a decades-long track record of defrauding business partners and what they described as a “documented counter-attack history” of alleging misconduct by others in response to accusations and lawsuits lodged against him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A simple search of Co-Conspirator 1’s name through the Alameda County Superior Court records reveals that he has been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners,” one motion reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juarez, they alleged, was continuing that pattern in this case. They requested an evidentiary hearing where they could question the FBI agents who wrote the affidavits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors had pushed back on that argument, saying they had amassed significant documentary evidence of the alleged corruption scheme well before interviewing Juarez, and that his statements were included merely for “context and completeness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In her order, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the defendants’ request.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Defendants present no credible evidence that the government intended to deceive or acted with reckless disregard,” she wrote. “The motion is deniable on this basis alone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037105\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12037105\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Federal Courthouse in Oakland on Aug. 16, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One warrant, she wrote, included “significant documentary evidence tying David Duong, Andy Duong, Thao, Jones, and Juarez to the alleged corruption scheme, including messages and notes from Juarez’s iCloud account, financial records showing the allegedly corrupt payments, phone records showing significant communication regarding those payments, and other documentary evidence relating to the scheme.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys for Thao, Jones and David and Andy Duong either declined to comment on the order or did not return KQED’s calls requesting comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juarez also did not respond to a text message requesting comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Criminal defense attorney Jay Rorty said the judge’s decision could change the calculus for the defendants, who still have the option to accept a plea deal before the case goes to trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Each client will now need to make difficult choices as to whether it is in their interest to resolve the case or take the risk of a more severe penalty in the event they are convicted at trial,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A federal judge in Oakland has publicly revealed the identity of a key FBI informant in the corruption case against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao: \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071314/fbi-informant-tested-corruption-case-against-oaklands-former-mayor\">Mario Juarez\u003c/a>, a longtime Oakland businessman and former city council candidate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juarez is named in an order issued Monday and unsealed Tuesday, denying \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12062614/defense-in-oakland-corruption-case-files-motion-targeting-key-informants-credibility\">several motions\u003c/a> to suppress evidence in the case. The motions had questioned Juarez’s credibility as an informant and the FBI’s reliance on his statements to secure search warrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to court records, Juarez began working with the FBI in 2024, mere weeks before agents conducted highly publicized raids on Thao and the other defendants’ homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While his presence has loomed large in the case, he had yet to be publicly identified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thao was charged with bribery, conspiracy and fraud in an eight-count indictment in January last year. Her longtime partner, Andre Jones, and father and son recycling executives David and Andy Duong, were also charged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Duongs own California Waste Solutions, Oakland’s current curbside recycling contractor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081856\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081856\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/011026_KingofTrash-_GH_005_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andy Duong speaks with guests after the screening of The King of Trash on Jan. 10, 2026, at Regal Jack London in Oakland. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The indictment alleges a pay-to-play scheme in which the Duongs made payments to Jones through a no-show job and financed political mailers attacking Thao’s opponents in the 2022 mayoral race. In exchange, Thao promised to extend the Duongs’ recycling contract and commit the city to purchasing shipping containers converted into housing for the homeless from a company the Duongs co-owned, according to federal prosecutors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The indictment also describes a fifth person who was allegedly involved in the scheme but has not been charged. That individual, now confirmed to be Juarez, is identified in the indictment as “CO-CONSPIRATOR 1.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The motions, filed by Thao and the other defendants, had accused the FBI of failing to leave out key information about Juarez’s past in affidavits used to secure search warrants of their homes, vehicles and businesses.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In their motions, the defendants alleged the FBI failed to disclose that Juarez has a decades-long track record of defrauding business partners and what they described as a “documented counter-attack history” of alleging misconduct by others in response to accusations and lawsuits lodged against him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A simple search of Co-Conspirator 1’s name through the Alameda County Superior Court records reveals that he has been sued approximately 33 times between 1992 and 2022, including numerous fraud cases involving former business partners,” one motion reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juarez, they alleged, was continuing that pattern in this case. They requested an evidentiary hearing where they could question the FBI agents who wrote the affidavits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors had pushed back on that argument, saying they had amassed significant documentary evidence of the alleged corruption scheme well before interviewing Juarez, and that his statements were included merely for “context and completeness.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In her order, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied the defendants’ request.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Defendants present no credible evidence that the government intended to deceive or acted with reckless disregard,” she wrote. “The motion is deniable on this basis alone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037105\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12037105\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/230816-Dublin-Womens-Prison-Suit-MD-01_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Federal Courthouse in Oakland on Aug. 16, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One warrant, she wrote, included “significant documentary evidence tying David Duong, Andy Duong, Thao, Jones, and Juarez to the alleged corruption scheme, including messages and notes from Juarez’s iCloud account, financial records showing the allegedly corrupt payments, phone records showing significant communication regarding those payments, and other documentary evidence relating to the scheme.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys for Thao, Jones and David and Andy Duong either declined to comment on the order or did not return KQED’s calls requesting comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Juarez also did not respond to a text message requesting comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Criminal defense attorney Jay Rorty said the judge’s decision could change the calculus for the defendants, who still have the option to accept a plea deal before the case goes to trial.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Each client will now need to make difficult choices as to whether it is in their interest to resolve the case or take the risk of a more severe penalty in the event they are convicted at trial,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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