US mayor takes action after FBI raids his home

CBS News and NBC News reported that Ms. Thao hired attorney Tony Brass on June 21 (US time), just one day after her home was searched by FBI agents.

Attorney Tony Brass said in an interview on June 21 that neither he nor Ms. Thao knew any details about the investigation.

"The mayor of Oakland has always been willing to cooperate with the government. She has nothing to hide," Brass stressed, adding that Thao has not received any requests for documents or information. "My client will provide full information if requested," the famous American criminal defense attorney asserted.

About a dozen FBI agents were seen leaving Thao's home on Maiden Lane in the Lincoln Highlands neighborhood of Oakland hours after executing a search warrant at around 5:30 a.m. on June 20 (local time).

FBI agents carry away several boxes of items from Sheng Thao's home on June 20. Photo: KQED

The search warrant executed at the residence was also the first the Oakland Mayor was made aware of the investigation, Brass noted.

"The target of the search warrant was the residence, not the mayor herself," added attorney Brass.

Brass said his client was “treated unfairly”. “The mayor could have cooperated with the investigation without this search,” he said.

Brass explained that typically when elected officials are targeted in an investigation, they have a chance to provide information, documents or other evidence ahead of time. In Thao’s case, he said it was surprising that the search was not announced in advance.

The raid comes as Thao faces calls to resign as mayor of Oakland. Her case has received a lot of attention from the US media, making it difficult for her to do her job.

"However, Ms. Thao has no intention of resigning as mayor of Oakland City," the lawyer emphasized.

Ms. Sheng Thao at Oakland City Hall, California, USA, July 2022. Photo: Oaklandside

In addition to searching Ms. Thao's house, FBI agents also did the same to the house believed to belong to Mr. David Duong, nicknamed "trash king" for being the leader of the recycling company California Waste Solutions.

The other house that was searched belongs to Andy Duong, son of David Duong. Mr. Duong is a famous Vietnamese-American businessman.

It is not yet clear what the FBI investigation involves and who the target of the investigation is.

The FBI has not yet disclosed whether there is any connection between the locations searched, nor the connection between Mr. Duong's family and Ms. Thao.

California Waste Solutions was investigated for contributions to Thao and other city officials in 2020.

Ms. Thao, 38, took office as mayor of Oakland in January 2023 after serving on the city council. In recent months, Ms. Thao has been criticized for the sharp increase in crime in Oakland.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thi-truong-my-co-hanh-dong-sau-khi-fbi-kham-nha-rieng-196240622173436724.htm