Plot thickens

Subpoena sheds light on FBI investigation; Newark to select new councilmember tonight; 'Dro concealed weapons licenses; Fife gets big name challenger in Oakland council race; Sunol recall update

SCANDAL IN THE EAST BAY

—A federal grand jury is looking into dealings between the Duong Family, owners of California Waste Solutions, and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has convened and recently sent a subpoena to the city.

—An email sent by Oakland’s city attorney to some staff appears to be a possible roadmap to what the FBI may be investigating, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

—Among the potential targets:

• California Waste Solutions and Evolutionary Homes, a business purported to build tiny homes out of shipping containers that included the Duongs and Oakland politico Mario Juarez.

• Documents involving the 2022 Oakland mayoral election.

• Appointments to Oakland boards and commissions.

• Thao and her partner, Andre Jones’ calendars beginning on June 1, 2022.

• Emails about the Oakland Army Base, a declaration of a homelessness emergency, and “potential contracts with waste management companies.”

—Last year, Renia Webb, who served as chief of staff early in Thao’s mayoral administration, has raised questions about Jones and allegations of some type of scheme to offer city appointments.

—It’s unclear whether Jones was a paid member of Thao’s administration. In a television interview, Thao suggested Jones was not.

—Juarez’s role in the investigation is not yet clear, but it could surround a partnership with the Duongs to solve the region’s homelessness crisis with tiny homes.

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