A federal grand jury has subpoenaed documents about California Waste Solutions and the Duong family.
Author Archives: Darwin BondGraham
Before joining The Oaklandside as News Editor, Darwin BondGraham was a freelance investigative reporter covering police and prosecutorial misconduct. He has reported on gun violence for The Guardian and was a staff writer for the East Bay Express. He holds a doctorate in sociology from UC Santa Barbara and was the co-recipient of the George Polk Award for local reporting in 2017. He is also the co-author of The Riders Come Out at Night, a book examining the Oakland Police Department's history of corruption and reform.
Posted inCity Hall
AG Rob Bonta received campaign funds from owners of Oakland karaoke bar raided for drugs, sex trafficking
Music Cafe and its managers—targeted for ketamine sales and sex trafficking in 2018—provided California’s top law enforcement officer with $37,000.
Posted inCity Hall
‘Recall Sheng Thao’ campaign refuses to cooperate with ethics investigators, faces lawsuit
Did the recall campaign violate political fundraising laws? Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission wants to know but recall organizers refuse to hand over records.
Posted inCity Hall
Andy Duong allegedly laundered donations to Oakland officials through Chinatown karaoke bar
Investigators claim Duong—whose home was searched by the FBI on June 20—was affiliated with the “Music Cafe,” a bar infiltrated by undercover law enforcement in 2018.
Posted inCity Hall
After alleging corruption by Oakland officials, a congressional candidate gets a tough question
In a fiery speech in front of City Hall, Jennifer Tran accused Sheng Thao and others of a wide array of crimes. Reporters asked about donations to her own campaign.
Posted inCity Hall
5 days after Oakland FBI raids, here’s what we do—and don’t—know
We don’t know if Sheng Thao committed a crime, what the FBI was looking for in her home, how the Duong family is related to any of this, and much more.
Posted inCity Hall
Oakland’s Duong family has showered money on politicians for decades
From Donald Trump to Kamala Harris, the Duongs and California Waste Solutions have spent big in politics. The FBI raided their homes last week.
Posted inCity Hall
Where is Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao?
More than 24 hours after the FBI searched her home the mayor has remained silent about the raids.
Posted inCity Hall
What we know about the FBI’s search of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s home
The FBI hasn’t said what it’s looking for. But for years, state investigators have been scrutinizing how a major Oakland recycling contractor allegedly funneled money to politicians.
Posted inPublic Safety
14 shot following Oakland Juneteenth celebration
Gunfire erupted near Lake Merritt after a fight broke out at a sideshow.
Posted inCity Hall
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao will face recall election
Oaklanders will decide whether to keep or oust their mayor and District Attorney after campaigners succeeded in gathering enough voter signatures.
Posted inPublic Safety
Alameda County prosecutors accused of using slurs, excluding LGBTQ people from juries
New evidence is emerging that supports claims of racial, ethnic, and anti-gay bias among prosecutors during jury selection for death penalty murder cases.
Posted inCity Hall
Libby Schaaf is under investigation for allegedly running a political committee that attacked a rival
Oakland ethics investigators accused Lyft of making an illegal $100,000 contribution to an anti-Rebecca Kaplan PAC in 2020. Behind the scenes, former Mayor Schaaf was allegedly running the show.
Posted inCity Hall
3 Oakland police officers face discipline for obstructing an internal affairs case
8 officers in total, including 4 commanders, allegedly botched an examination of bribery and perjury charges against a homicide investigator.
Posted inPublic Safety
Alameda County prosecutors allegedly excluded Black people and Jews from death penalty juries
A federal judge has ordered District Attorney Pamela Price to review 35 death penalty cases after notes from decades ago showed alleged ‘prosecutorial misconduct.’
Posted inPublic Safety
District Attorney Price charges 3 Alameda police officers with manslaughter in Mario Gonzalez case
Gonzalez was killed in 2021 as several officers attempted to restrain him in a park.
Posted inCity Hall
I-880 in Oakland blocked by pro-Palestinian protesters
The freeway shutdown appears to be part of a global “economic blockade” opposing the war in Gaza.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Bay Area janitors say grueling workloads are leading to more injuries on the job
Workers who clean offices and tech campuses rallied in Oakland Thursday as part of their campaign for a new contract.
Posted inCity Hall
Oakland’s new police chief is Floyd Mitchell
Mayor Sheng Thao announced today that she has selected the retired Lubbock police chief to lead OPD after a lengthy search process.
Posted inCity Hall
Why does the leader of the Pamela Price recall have armed bodyguards? We investigated
Payments to a security firm run by recall leader Brenda Grisham are under scrutiny—as are the guards’ licenses. We examined the videos and documents Grisham shared outlining her fears.
