Rivals of ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao say they're not surprised about corruption indictment
The federal corruption charges against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao did not come as a surprise to many of her political opponents and even a former ally, who had long voiced concerns over her conduct.
One of the most vocal critics has been Renia Webb, Thao's former chief of staff, who risked her career to blow the whistle on allegations of pay-to-play schemes involving Thao's boyfriend, Andre Jones.
Webb first raised alarms in early 2023 when she alerted the Oakland City Council about Jones' alleged involvement in bribery and other unethical practices. Despite her warnings, Webb claims her concerns were met with silence from many city leaders, with some even dismissing her as "crazy."
"I wouldn't sell out Oakland for any amount of money. I love Oakland. We deserve better," Webb told CBS News Bay Area, emphasizing her commitment to exposing corruption in her city.
Shen Thao indictment documents by CBS News Bay Area on Scribd
She is among several candidates who are seeking to replace Thao in an upcoming special election which is set to take place on April 15.
Webb, who had served as chief of staff in 2022 when Thao was District 4 councilmember and volunteered on Thao's mayoral campaign, claims that when she discovered Jones' schemes, she immediately informed Thao. According to Webb, Thao's response was to ignore the issue and focus on personal financial gain.
"She just told me to ignore Andre... (reminding me that I) make close to $200,000 and that we could set up our families for life," Webb recalled.
Webb resigned from her position on New Year's Eve in 2022, shortly after Thao's mayoral victory.
She filed a formal complaint with the Public Ethics Commission, which was already investigating Andy Duong for allegedly using straw donors to funnel money to politicians, including Thao, in exchange for political influence.
Webb and federal prosecutors allege that Duong also funded attack ads targeting Thao's political rivals, including mayoral candidate Loren Taylor. Taylor, who lost to Thao by less than 700 votes, believes these ads played a direct role in the outcome of the election.
"When we're talking about a 677-vote margin, those flyers that were funded through this scheme clearly had a direct impact on the outcome of our election," Taylor said.
Taylor, who is running again in the upcoming special election for mayor, expressed his frustration over the situation.
"I'm incensed that democracy was stolen from Oaklanders," he said Friday. "We installed a mayor who was underqualified and corrupt, putting us on a downward spiral."
The federal charges have further validated the claims of those who worked to recall Thao. About 60% of Oakland voters were in favor of recalling the mayor in November, and many recall organizers feel vindicated by the unfolding revelations.
"We all knew, we all knew. We've been telling you for over a year that Sheng Thao is corrupt, dishonest, and incompetent," said Seneca Scott, a key organizer of the recall effort.
Scott believes the recall campaign ultimately saved the city from further harm.
"Oakland owes the recall effort an apology or thank you, depending on which way you voted, because now we know that we have saved Oakland a great deal of time, energy, and heartache," he said at a news conference on Friday. "Imagine this happened today, if she was still our mayor?"
While Webb doesn't harbor anger toward her former boss, she has made it clear that it's time for Oakland to move forward and focus on addressing the city's pressing issues.
"Oakland has such a bright future ahead of us," Webb said, explaining why she's running for mayor in the special election. "(Voters) deserve a leader that's going to stand up for what's right, that's going to serve the people."
Former Rep. Barbara Lee is also vying for the mayor's seat, despite having previously urged voters to reject Thao's recall.
Lee released a statement saying she was devastated by the allegations against Thao in the indictment.
As the special election approaches, Oakland residents are faced with the challenge of choosing a leader who can guide the city toward recovery and restore public trust after a turbulent period.
