Reports: Oakland mayor’s lawyer says she was not target of FBI raid

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s attorney said Friday that an FBI raid at the politician’s home Thursday did not appear to be targeted at Thao, according to media reports.

Thao has not been seen in public since her Oakland home was raided in the early hours of Thursday in a series of raids centered on the Duong family, a politically influential family that owns California Waste Solutions, the city’s contracted recycling company. Federal agents also raided three properties connected to the family.

Anthony Brass, Thao’s attorney, told The San Francisco Chronicle on Friday that officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not give him any information that indicated the raids were directed at Thao. He added that Thao will cooperate with the investigation.

“It’s unfortunate that the mayor did not receive any request for information from the authorities, because she would have responded, and she would have cooperated,” Brass told The Chronicle. “And now, the optics of an elected official having a search warrant executed on her residence suggests wrongdoing. I hope that everyone will reserve judgment until this can be sorted out.”

Brass also told The Chronicle that Thao plans to release an official statement next week.

This is a developing report. Check back for updates.