By Magaly Muñoz

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao finally addressed the public Monday morning after four days of silence following an FBI raid on her home last week and the certification of signatures required to trigger a recall election.

Thao and her family woke up to FBI officers entering her home last Thursday morning and leaving with several boxes of unknown content. The FBI has not commented on what the investigation is about, but it has been reported that they are working in collaboration with the IRS and USPS.

“I want to be crystal clear. I have done nothing wrong,” Thao stated emphatically at the press conference.

Three other properties were also searched that morning, including the residences of California Waste Solutions owners Andy and David Duong. The Duongs are at the center of an investigation by the Oakland Public Ethics Commission for political money-laundering, as reported by the Oaklandside.

Thao said that she was unaware of the investigation or raid prior to Thursday and would have fully cooperated had the FBI contacted her beforehand. She says she still has not received any information on what the investigation is about or whether she is the focus of it.

Bay Area defense attorney Anthony Brass, who took on Thao as a client shortly after the incident, and talked to press on Friday afternoon, withdrew his representation Monday.

He asked to withdraw from her legal team, and she accepted, Brass told the Post, but did not elaborate as to why.

Thao also addressed the shooting at Lake Merritt on June 19 during a Juneteenth celebration where 15 people were injured by gunfire. The incident was a result of a fight during a car sideshow that occurred at the Lakefest festival around 8 p.m.

This event resulted in yet another conversation about the lack of public safety and police presence in the city, an issue many have blamed Thao for.

“I want every Oaklander to know that we will work hard to ensure that those responsible are held accountable,” Thao said.

The FBI raid happened only two days after the Alameda County Registrar of Voters certified the signatures needed to trigger a recall election on the November ballot. Recall proponents submitted over 40,000 signatures seven weeks before their July deadline.

Thao accused billionaires from San Francisco and Piedmont for being behind the attempts to oust her and “buying the recall election.” She blamed them for empowering people like Seneca Scott, a leader behind the recall, to overturn the election.

“They were not only aiming to undermine the outcome of a fair and free election, but they empowered a dangerous man with a history of assault weapons violations to further attack me in life,” Thao said.

The “dangerous man” in question is Scott, a failed 2022 mayoral candidate who is spearheading the recall alongside former Police Commissioner Brenda Harbin-Forte. The recall group has called on Thao to resign since the unraveling of events on Thursday.

The mayor also suggested that this situation would not be happening if she were a rich politician. She stated that she’s aware that former elected officials have committed campaign finance violations with “mountains” of evidence to prove the wrongdoing, but “their front doors remain intact.”

Because the press was told Thao would not take questions, following her lawyer’s advice, no one asked for further details about this claim.

Thao promised to continue her work to keep Oakland safe and fight against the “right-wing forces” behind her recall. She reiterated her commitment to major city projects like the sale of the Coliseum property to the African American Sports Entertainment Group, emphasizing that this investment would proceed without derailment.

“I will not be bullied, and I will not be disparaged, and I will not be frightened out of this office,” Thao said.

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