Sheng Thao, who was ousted as Oakland mayor in a recall election in November, has been indicted by a federal grand jury, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Chronicle did not say what criminal charges Thao faces, but the FBI raided her home in June as part of a corruption investigation.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice declined to comment and the FBI did not respond to The Standard’s inquiries. However, officials from the FBI, U.S. attorney’s office, Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced that they would discuss “a significant law enforcement action” Friday at a press conference in San Francisco.
Thao’s home and three other residences were raided in June by FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents, and speculation followed about a corruption investigation involving Cal Waste Solutions, the city’s curbside recycling provider, owned by the prominent local Duong family.
At a press conference days after the raid, Thao struck a defiant tone: “I have done nothing wrong. I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. I will not be charged with a crime, because I am innocent.”
Attorney Tony Brass, who had been representing Thao, dropped her as a client, citing a difference of views.
“I didn’t know she was having a press conference today,” he told The Standard. “I saw it on the news, and I decided it was probably not the right messaging for what I heard.”
Just a day later, Francis Zamora, Thao’s chief of communications, announced his resignation.
“I thank my colleagues for their professionalism and dedication. It was an honor to serve the city of Oakland beside them,” Zamora said in a statement from the mayor’s office.