Sheng Thao Faces Bribery Trial Over $75,000 Mailer and $300,000 No-Show Job
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 14
Sheng Thao Faces Bribery Trial Over $75,000 Mailer and $300,000 No-Show Job
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 14
Summary
Federal prosecutors opened a corruption case this week against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three co-defendants on bribery and fraud charges tied to her 2022 election campaign.
Prosecutors say Thao struck the deal weeks before Election Day: a recycling-company-backed venture would fund a $75,000 mailer attacking rivals, and if she won, her partner would get a $300,000-a-year consulting job.
Text messages, secretly recorded calls and bank records are central to the government's case, which also examines how the family behind California Waste Solutions allegedly pursued contracts in Oakland and other Bay Area cities.
Opening statements are scheduled for Wednesday in federal court, and each defendant could face several years in prison if convicted.