Rivals of disgraced Oakland mayor reveal their frustrated reaction to her 'long-time bribery' scandal

Oakland's disgraced erstwhile politician Sheng Thao's governmental opponents person said her alleged corruption was communal cognition among the city's politicians and claimed that 'democracy was stolen.' 

Thao was indicted successful an FBI corruption probe for allegedly funneling metropolis contracts to 2 businessmen, David Duong and his lad Andy, successful speech for wealth and benefits for herself and her partner. 

Thao, her 'longtime partner' Andre Jones, Andy and David were each named successful an indictment connected charges of bribery, conspiracy and message and ligament fraud connected Friday. 

Her opponents and adjacent a erstwhile state had been increasing progressively frustrated aft having been raising the alarm for years. 

Thao's erstwhile main of staff, Renia Webb, has been 1 of her astir vocal critics and risked her vocation aft publically accusing her of corruption.

'Oakland has specified a agleam future. [Voters] merit a person that's going to basal up for what's right, that's going to service the people,' she said. 

Webb alerted the Oakland City Council astir Jones' alleged engagement successful bribery and different corrupt practices. Yet, she wasn't heard and was met with silence, adjacent being dismissed arsenic 'crazy.' 

Webb, who served successful her presumption successful 2022 and volunteered connected Thao's mayoral campaign, claimed that aft discovering Jones' schemes, she instantly told Thao.

'She conscionable told maine to disregard Andre... [reminding maine that I] marque adjacent to $200,000 and that we could acceptable up our families for life,' Webb said.  

'I wouldn't merchantability retired Oakland for immoderate magnitude of money. I emotion Oakland. We merit better,' Webb told CBS News. 

Shortly aft Thao won her triumph arsenic mayor, Webb resigned connected New Year's Eve successful 2022. 

Webb filed a ceremonial ailment with the Public Ethics Commission, which was already investigating Andy Duong for allegedly utilizing straw donors to funnel wealth to politicians, including Thao, successful speech for governmental influence. 

Federal prosecutors besides allege that Duong funded onslaught ads connected Thao's governmental rivals, including Loren Taylor who mislaid to Thao by little than 700 votes. 

Taylor believed that these ads had a important effect connected the result of the election. He told the outlet: 'When we're talking astir a 677-vote margin, those flyers that were funded done this strategy intelligibly had a nonstop interaction connected the result of our election.' 

Taylor expressed his vexation and added: 'I'm incensed that ideology was stolen from Oakland. We installed a politician who was underqualified and corrupt, putting america successful a downward spiral.' 

Thao's indictment came lone months aft she had been recalled from her position implicit the city's spiraling crime. About 60 percent of Oakland voters were successful favour of recalling the politician successful November.

'We each knew, we each knew. We've been telling you for implicit a twelvemonth that Sheng Thao is corrupt dishonest, and incompetent,' said Seneca Scott, who worked arsenic a cardinal organizer successful the callback effort. 

Scott believes the callback run saved the metropolis from further damages, CBS reported. 

In a quality league connected Friday, helium said: 'Oakland owes the callback effort an apology oregon convey you, depending connected which mode you voted, due to the fact that present we cognize that we person saved Oakland a large woody of time, vigor and heartache. Imagine this happened today, if she was inactive our mayor?' 

Now, the contention for the mayor's spot has begun. Candidates specified arsenic Webb and erstwhile Rep. Barbara Lee are among those who person thrown their hats into the upcoming peculiar predetermination which is acceptable to instrumentality spot connected April 15. 

Lee, however, had besides antecedently urged voters to cull Thao's recall, and released a connection to accidental she was devastated by the allegations against her successful the indictment. 

Federal prosecutors allege that Thao, who was elected Oakland's politician successful 2022, agreed that the metropolis would acquisition lodging units from 1 of Duongs' companies and renew the city's declaration with a recycling institution David owned. 

In exchange, David and Andy are alleged to person promised to money a $75,000 antagonistic mailer run during the run-up to the 2022 election. They are besides accused of a program to funnel $95,000 successful payments disguised arsenic wages for a occupation that Jones did not request to amusement up for. 

Jones is described successful the indictment arsenic Thao's longtime romanticist spouse and is said to person lived with Thao successful Oakland. The brace are alleged to person received assorted kickbacks from the Duongs. 

'The alleged activities of the accused person led to a increasing consciousness of distrust among taxpayers and elected officials,' Internal Revenue Service Special Agent Linda Nguyen said astatine a quality league connected Friday announcing the indictments.

'As alleged, David and Andy Duong utilized bribes to further the profitability of their concern interests and to get undue power implicit the assignment of high-level Oakland metropolis officials.'

If convicted of each counts, each faces up to 35 years successful prison if the sentences tally concurrently. However, should the justice take to condemnation consecutively the tariff could beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic 95 years. Andy besides faces an further 5 years if convicted of lying to agents.

During Friday's tribunal quality Thao pleaded not guilty. She was released from custody connected a $50,000 enslaved and was prohibited from traveling extracurricular Northern California. Jones besides pleaded not guilty, aft declining to remark arsenic helium arrived astatine court.