Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's home raided by FBI
Oakland, California - The FBI raided a home owned by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao on Thursday for an as yet unspecified reason.
"The FBI is conducting court authorized law enforcement activity on Maiden Lane. We are unable to provide additional information at this time," the agency said in a statement to CBS News Bay Area.
Reporters on the scene witnessed the FBI carrying boxes out of Thao's home, although it was unclear what was inside.
The investigation also included the search of several other local properties. Among those were homes owned by members of the wealthy Duong family, owners of Cal Waste Solutions.
The recycling company has previously been investigated over campaign contributions to Thao and other city officials, Oaklandside reported back in 2020.
Thao served on the city council before she was elected to the mayor in 2022.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao faces calls for resignation
The raid on Thao's home came just days after the Oakland city clerk's office confirmed a petition to recall the 38-year-old had gathered enough signatures to go to the ballot in November. The FBI investigation has sparked calls for her resignation.
"The City of Oakland has a cloud hanging over it today," NAACP Oakland President Cynthia Adams said. "The world watched as Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s home was raided by the FBI."
"While the public should refrain from a rush to judgment, the leadership of the NAACP and its members are calling on Mayor Sheng Thao to resign immediately and spare the city the cost of a recall."
Cover photo: JP Yim / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP