Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Corruption Case: Witnesses Summoned; Former Chief of Staff Testifies

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the corruption trial involving former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her partner Andre Jones, and the father-son executive duo David Duong and Andy Duong continued on Thursday (the 15th) at the federal courthouse in Oakland, as prosecutors began calling their first witnesses.

Prosecutors allege that, as part of a bribery scheme, Sheng Thao leveraged her influence as mayor to help the company Evolutionary Homes secure municipal contracts and pushed for the appointment of Larry Gallegos—a candidate favored by the Duongs—to a high-level city government position.

Prosecutors questioned Thao’s former chief of staff, Leigh Hanson, regarding a meeting with Evolutionary Homes that Hanson had arranged in May 2023 at the mayor’s request.

They also questioned her about Thao’s efforts to promote Gallegos for the position of director of the city’s Housing and Community Development Department—a role that could influence the awarding of potential housing contracts.

During cross-examination, the defense team sought to demonstrate that Thao did not, in the end, show any favoritism toward Evolutionary Homes or Gallegos’s candidacy.

When asked by prosecutors whether Thao had met with other companies offering modular housing as a solution to homelessness, Hanson replied that Thao had met with at least five different firms. However, Hanson noted that the city was facing a severe budget deficit at the time and lacked the funds to purchase any new temporary housing units.

Regarding Gallegos, Hanson stated that Thao ultimately decided that another city employee, Emily Weinstein, should take on the role of housing department director. Although Gallegos was appointed as a deputy director, the position was only temporary, with a term ending in November 2023. Attorneys described the relationship between Sheng Thao and Jones as “strained,” noting that by the time of the election campaign and the early days of Thao’s mayoralty, the relationship was effectively dead—implying that the two were no longer a couple. Although Jones had long served as Thao’s political advisor and confidant, their relationship had been “steadily deteriorating” for some time, marked by frequent arguments. Their finances were kept separate, as Jones was “equally poor” at managing money, and Thao “did not trust Mr. Jones to handle financial matters.”

At times, even when they were in the same house, the two would send text messages to each other from different rooms. Their attorneys stated that evidence will reveal “uncomfortable personal facts about their relationship,” as well as “sharp language” in text messages—much of it coming from Thao herself.

“Even in the most candid and unvarnished moments between them,” the attorneys said, “you will not find a single word reflecting the existence of bribery, let alone a conspiracy to commit bribery.”