- Public Corruption
- Nov 5, 2026
CA Mayor ON TRIAL As Prosecutor Tells Jury She Was “OPEN FOR BUSINESS” & Faces 20 Years
On October 14, 2026, a federal jury in Oakland heard opening statements in the bribery trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. Prosecutor Abraham Fine told jurors she was “a public official on the take,” that she and her partner Andre Jones were “open for business,” and that this was “not politics as usual, this is politics for profit.” Thao’s lawyer told the same jury there is not a single word in the evidence reflecting a bribe.
So was the mayor’s office for sale?
News clips are used for commentary, criticism and reporting under fair use. Sheng Thao portrait: City of Oakland, public domain.
Presumption of innocence
What prosecutors told the jury Thao promised the Duong family The $95,000 no-show job and the $300,000 the government says was promised “We may go to jail” and “Money buys everything”: the messages quoted in the indictment Thao’s recorded call about not wanting to be seen with the Duongs How the FBI case began and the timeline from raid to recall to trial The informant at the center of the case and why the defense says he cannot be trusted What each defense lawyer told the jury How long the trial will last and what comes next Sheng Thao, Andre Jones, David Duong and Andy Duong have all pleaded not guilty and are presumed innocent.
Sources
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California · San Francisco Chronicle · KPIX CBS Bay Area · ABC7 · KTVU FOX 2 · KRON4 · San Francisco Standard.
