Jury Selection Begins In Federal Corruption Trial of Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Others

Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her boyfriend Andre Jones, and father-and-son waste-management contractors David and Andy Duong will begin their federal corruption trial this week, ultimately bringing some closure to a yearslong probe.It has echoes in the corruption scandal that gripped San Francisco City Hall five years ago, with city contractors engaging in alleged pay-to-play schemes, taking city officials on free trips to Asia, and links to the business of waste management. But in this case, the contractors allegedly got their favorite city councilmember elected mayor, and continued seeking contracts and preferential treatment until federal agents descended in June 2024. Also, the mayor herself, in this case, allegedly solicited large cash bribes.That s what federal prosecutors will be trying to prove, anyway, as jury selection begins Tuesday in the trial of Sheng Thao and the three co-defendants. As ABC 7 reported last week, exhibits that will be presented to jurors by prosecutor