Star witness details bribery scheme with ex-Oakland mayor and partner
Star witness Mario Juarez testifies to bribery involving ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her partner.
Why it matters: This case highlights alleged political corruption in Oakland's municipal governance and raises significant legal ethics issues for prosecutors and political watchers.
- Mario Juarez testified he helped bribe former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and partner Andre Jones, working with businessmen David and Andy Duong.
- Juarez received $75,000 funded by David Duong to produce attack ads against Thao's opponent during 2022 election.
- Thao promised to renew a 10-year contract with the Duongs' recycling business and facilitate city purchase of 100 modular homes.
- Thao requested an additional $300,000 via a no-show job funneled through partner Andre Jones.
- Juarez messaged Andy Duong post-election: "So we may go to jail, but we are a hundred million dollars richer," Duong replied, "Money buys everything."
- All defendants, including Thao, Jones, and the Duongs, plead not guilty; Juarez testified after pleading guilty and seeking a lighter sentence.
At the heart of the ongoing corruption trial is Mario Juarez, who testified he collaborated with businessmen David and Andy Duong to bribe former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her partner Andre Jones. Juarez, who pleaded guilty to his role, testified he was paid $75,000—funded by David Duong—to produce attack ads aimed at Thao's mayoral opponent, Loren Taylor, during the 2022 election.
In exchange for election support, Thao promised to renew a decade-long contract with the Duongs’ recycling company and facilitate the city’s purchase of 100 modular housing units from Evolutionary Homes. The scheme allegedly included a $300,000 payment funneled through Jones via a no-show job.
Juarez relayed post-election messages revealing a brazen view of their actions: "So we may go to jail, but we are a hundred million dollars richer," to which Andy Duong responded, "Money buys everything." The payment plans also involved political appointments, with Thao promising to install Larry Gallegos in a city role to assist their business interests.
While Juarez is the prosecution’s key witness, the defense has challenged his credibility, highlighting his involvement in 33 lawsuits over fraud and other claims between 1992 and 2022. Winston Chan, attorney for Andy Duong, framed Juarez as critical to the case’s outcome: "It lives or dies on whether — when he takes the stand, you believe what he says." All defendants maintain their innocence against charges including conspiracy, bribery, and fraud.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine summarized the case’s stakes: "This is not politics as usual, this is politics as profit." The trial underscores important concerns about political corruption and legal ethics within city governance that legal professionals and municipal watchdogs should monitor closely.
By the numbers:
- $75,000 — paid to Mario Juarez to produce attack ads during 2022 mayoral election
- $300,000 — requested by Mayor Thao, funneled via Andre Jones through a no-show job
- 33 — number of lawsuits involving Juarez from 1992 to 2022
Yes, but: Defense attorneys argue Mario Juarez’s extensive history of lawsuits and fraud allegations undermines his credibility as the prosecution’s main witness.
What's next: Trial proceedings are ongoing with no jury verdict yet; sentencing outcomes will depend on trial conclusions.