Ousted Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao indicted by federal grand jury following FBI corruption probe
Thao was recently recalled in the November election.
Katie Daviscourt - Jan 16, 2025
The former Mayor of Oakland, Sheng Thao, has reportedly been indicted by a federal grand jury following a corruption investigation headed by the FBI, sources familiar with the matter told the San Francisco Chronicle. On Thursday, federal officials announced that they intended to disclose the outcome of a "significant law enforcement operation" on Friday morning. However, they did not provide any additional information.
The official charges against the former mayor have not yet been announced, but come after her home was raided by the FBI in June 2024 as part of a corruption probe. Thao was recently recalled in the November election.
The FBI conducted a raid at Thao's home and three properties that were associated with members of the Duong family, who were awarded a curbside recycling contract by the city of Oakland. The raids occurred last June, and federal agents seized phones belonging to Thao and her boyfriend, Andre Jones.
Days after the raids, a federal grand jury subpoenaed all "documents and communications related to Andre Jones" and "calendar entries or records" of meetings involving Thao or Jones dating back to June 2022.
The subpoena sought documents concerning the Oakland Army Base and Evolutionary Homes, a project to construct container homes that involved the Duongs and Mario Juarez, a man who is accused of violating the law in an attempt to assist Thao in winning the 2022 election, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Additionally, Oakland's Public Ethics Commission has been conducting an inquiry into the Duong family. They have been accused of using straw donors to provide financial support to Thao and other politicians.
The city of Oakland released hundreds of documents in November, revealing that Evolutionary Homes representatives lobbied for $90 million in city funding to construct 300 tiny homes using shipping containers. Thao directly supported the venture, as evidenced by emails. On September 7, 2022, Evolutionary Homes was established in California. Juarez was listed as the organizer and a member of the Duong family as its agent. However, the company fell through.
Records indicate that Juarez established and exclusively funded an independent expenditure campaign during Thao's 2022 mayoral campaign. This campaign spent over $100,000 on leaflets that targeted Thao's opponents. Earlier this year, he entered a not-guilty plea to a charge that he had disbursed over $50,000 in fraudulent checks that were intended to cover the postage costs of the leaflets, the outlet reported.
The ousted mayor has maintained her innocence since the FBI home raid.
"When they came to my house at about 6 am, they came in with long guns, they came with Glocks, they came with the battering ram ready to break down the doors, into a sitting mayor's house," Thao said at the time. "It was just complete overreach. I am innocent."
--Ousted Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao indicted by federal grand jury following FBI corruption probe | The Post Millennial | thepostmillennial. com
https://thepostmillennial.com/ousted-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-indicted-by-federal-grand-jury-following-fbi-corruption-probe
-RETRIEVED-Fri Jan 17 2025 06:10:09 GMT+0100 (Central European Standard Time)
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Supreme Court Ruling: Accepting a Pardon is an "Admission of Guilt!"
A Presidential Pardon does not take effect unless the suspect accepts it. That according to a little known, 1915 ruling from the Supreme Court, once accepted, the pardon serves as an “imputation of guilt,” or what’s more commonly known as an admission. Because accepting the pardon is “essential to it’s validity,” I am demanding the Biden family, Dr. Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley, the members of the J6 Committee and everyone else Biden unsurprisingly pardoned declare their acceptance of the pardon publicly. Because, according to the Supreme Court, it would also serve as a declaration of guilt.
--Supreme Court Ruling: Accepting a Pardon is an "Admission of Guilt!" | The Gateway Pundit | by Grant Stinchfield
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/supreme-court-ruling-accepting-pardon-is-admission-guilt/
-RETRIEVED-Tue Jan 21 2025 12:21:47 GMT+0100 (Central European Standard Time)
California Fire Chief Saves Two Homes Using Milk and Beer After Finding No Water in Hose
NY Post - January 17, 2025
In an extraordinary act of resourcefulness, a California fire chief saved two houses from destruction during the fierce Eaton Fire by using milk and beer as firefighting agents, after discovering the local water supply was unavailable.
Brian Fennessy, 65, and the Orange County Fire Authority Chief, found himself in Altadena, where his childhood memories coexist with the current devastation. With no water pressure in the fire hoses, he resorted to unconventional methods. “I thought I’ll check the refrigerator and all that was in there was some milk and a couple beers,” Fennessy recounted.
--California Fire Chief Saves Two Homes Using Milk and Beer After Finding No Water in Hose – Discern TV
https://discern.tv/california-fire-chief-uses-milk-and-beer-to-save-2-homes-in-last-ditch-effort-after-finding-no-water-in-hose/
-RETRIEVED-Fri Jan 17 2025 14:35:37 ...
