Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her boyfriend Andre Jones' house was raided by the FBI on Thursday morning.

According to the Oakland mayor's former chief-of-staff Renia Webb, the 5:30 am raid on the Democrat is due to pay-to-play corruption allegations against Jones.

Meanwhile, Webb told ABC7 she had spoken to the FBI earlier this year as part of an investigation into what was going on in the office. "The line of questioning I could tell that they had already been looking into, you know, some of their kind of pay-to-play type of activities."

Webb worked for the lawmaker for 18 months.

She reported that federal agents had called her in for an extensive interview. And she believes authorities are targeting Jones who ran the mayor’s office and campaign. Webb alleges he was attempting to lobby for jobs for Thao's donors and allies.

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Raided by the FBI

The fallout impacts Mayor Thao's already tumultuous tenure.

Webb, publicly criticized Jone’s conduct, highlighting an incident involving his ex-wife during Thao’s swearing-in ceremony.  Webb described the mayor’s boyfriends’ "shocking behavior." 

This incident reportedly led to Webb's resignation, claiming that it reduced the mayor to tears.

Simultaneously, federal agents raided residences owned by members of the Duong family. They are known for their influence through Cal Waste Solutions. And they have also allegedly made improper campaign contributions to Thao and other city officials. 

Andy Duong, a prominent figure in Oakland politics, was specifically mentioned during Webb's interactions with federal investigators regarding board appointments and contracts.

Speculation intensified after it was revealed that Thao's inaugural trip to Vietnam was partially funded by the Vietnamese American Business Association, linked to the Duong family. This has fueled rumors of potential influence-peddling investigations by the FBI.

Thao’s Attorney Statement

Despite the scrutiny, Thao's attorney, Tony Brass, asserted that she is not the focus of the federal probe, emphasizing her willingness to cooperate fully.

Brass expressed dissatisfaction with the optics created by the search, insisting that Thao would have willingly provided any requested information without the need for such measures.

In response to mounting pressure, Brass affirmed that Thao has no intention to resign, despite facing a recall effort. He clarified that while a search warrant was executed at her residence, she remains committed to fulfilling her duties as Oakland's mayor, emphasizing that her legal standing remains intact with no arrests made.

"It's unfortunate that she has had to endure the bad optics of having this search warrant executed on her home. She would have cooperated with this investigation without the need for this search,” Brass emphasized.

"She will continue to do the work Oakland expects from their mayor and provide the federal government with whatever information they are seeking."

Brass says the mayor, facing a recall, has no plans to resign. 

He added: "The mayor of Oakland has not been arrested. There's a search warrant that was executed on an address. What that was for and why that was done does not take away from her ability or her capacity to be the mayor of Oakland."