Oakland mayor facing ouster attempts to pin downfall on 'right-wingers' following FBI raid



Tens of thousands of Americans at wits' end in the crime-ridden city of Oakland enjoyed a breakthrough on June 18: They gathered far more than the required number of verified signatures to put Democratic Mayor Sheng Thao's recall to a vote in November.

Just days after learning that she might soon be held to account for the rampant crime and local collapse she has reigned over, Thao's house was raided by the FBI. According to ABC News, the FBI — whose agents ultimately left the home carrying boxes — were joined on the scene by elements of the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Postal Service.

It remains unclear why Thao's house was targeted, but it has been suggested in mainstream reports that Thao is under investigation for public corruption. The California Globe noted that another home raided in the area last week belonged to the owner of California Waste Solutions, which the Oakland Public Ethics Commission indicated in 2020 had illegally laundered campaign contributions to then-councilwoman Thao and several of her peers.

Rather than express humility or address the concerns of prospective recall voters, Thao used a press conference Monday to displace blame.

Thao noted that after 15 people were shot at a "Juneteenth" celebration, "our city woke up to the news that the FBI had raided the home that I share with my partner and our family," intimating the latter had a comparable gravity.

Vowing to be "100% transparent" but unwilling to take questions, Thao alleged, "I have done nothing wrong."

"I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. I have not been charged with a crime and I am confident that I will not be charged with the crime because I am innocent," claimed Thao. "The timing of all of this is troubling and we should all be concerned."

Thao expressed anger that other officials weren't similarly being raided and suggested that she would have been treated differently if she were wealthier than she already is or if she came from money.

The current mayor also suggested that despite lacking a foothold in Oakland, "There are a lot of radical right-wing forces" who have somehow managed to "build the rules to protect and preserve their power and maintain dominance over the rest of us."

The empowered rule maker further suggested that the desire by at least 40,000 residents in the city of roughly 430,550 to have her kicked out of office is a "waste of time."

"I'm not going down like that," said Thao, managing to work up a tear.

Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao held its own press conference shortly after Thao's, poking holes in the mayor's characterizations and rhetoric, reported CBS News.

Seneca Scott, an organizer with the group, said, "We knew exactly what she would do: take no questions from the public after disappearing for several days, blame everyone, [and] scapegoat over 41,000 neighbors who signed her petition."

The Recall Thao campaign notes on its website that "Thao's incompetence and dishonesty accelerated Oakland's decline, causing longstanding businesses to close and generational families to leave."

Last year, the Athletics followed the Raiders and Golden State Warriors out of Oakland. Various businesses have fled the city or hired small armies of private security to deal with the crime.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Family FBI Raided For Dad’s Pro-Life Advocacy Seeks $4.3 Million From ‘Corrupt’ DOJ

Mark Houck and Ryan-Marie Houck say in their legal filing obtained by The Federalist that their seven children live in constant terror as a result of the 'unnecessary' FBI raid.

Was the FBI Utah raid a WARNING to MAGA Republicans?



Craig Robertson was a 75-year-old man standing at 5’4” and weighing in at 300 lbs. He walked with a cane and was extremely limited physically.

Doesn’t sound like much of a threat, but apparently the FBI disagreed.

On August 8, after Robertson – a known Trump supporter – allegedly posted several threats against President Biden and other Democrats on social media, the FBI reportedly raided his home, shot him dead, and then placed his body on the sidewalk outside his home for the entire neighborhood to witness.

Considering Robertson’s stature and seniority, Pat Gray certainly thinks the FBI’s response was extreme and unnecessary.

“Yes, he said threatening things about the president and should not have,” Pat admits, but “the Secret Service should’ve showed up at his door and arrested him for it … you didn't need to send an FBI kill squad to shoot the guy dead.”

“It’s almost as if they knew that by breaking down the door with their warrant … the guy would reach for his weapon,” Jeffy says, suggesting the FBI may have baited Robertson in order to justify shooting him.

Thousands of violent threats have been made against Donald Trump, many of which came from government officials.

“Did the FBI / SWAT unit show up at any of their homes to shoot them dead? I don’t think so,” says Pat.


Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Former FBI agent says THIS is the BIGGEST issue with Utah raid



A Utah resident named Craig Robertson was killed on Wednesday while FBI agents attempted to execute a search and arrest warrant. According to officials, Robertson had made several threats via his Facebook page against President Biden and others.

Glenn Beck isn’t convinced deadly force was justified in the raid of the 75-year-old man's home, so he sat down with former FBI agent Kyle Seraphin to hear what he thinks.

“You don’t do that. What he did was wrong, illegal, and you would expect the FBI to come in. However, you wouldn’t expect them to kill him. So, I don’t see a good guy here on either side. Although, I do kind of side with the victim,” Glenn tells Seraphin.

“The bigger picture,” Seraphin explains, “is this: you can make really bad decisions and get to the point where there’s a SWAT team there, and once that happens, a shooting of someone in that scenario can be very justified.”

He tells Glenn that if an officer has a reasonable belief that the person in question poses imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or another person, then deadly force is justified.

“I’m pretty confident — I’ve talked to my buddies who are actually on that team — that this was a straightforward weapon response scenario. They were justified in making that shot,” Seraphin says.

However, he explains that it’s not exactly what happens during the shooting that poses the problem with the handling of the situation. Rather, what had happened before.

“The decisions of the investigation that went on before it and the decision to send SWAT into this guy’s presence,” Seraphin says, “those can be bad decisions.”

Glenn is not pleased.

“I’m disgusted by this whole thing, and I still believe what the guy did was wrong, and he should have expected the FBI to show up,” Glenn says.

However, he notes, “He’s 75 years old. He is obese. Five, four, three hundred pounds. He can’t get up out of a chair without a walking stick or a cane. He walks with a cane. He’s got a blind son who just had a stroke. And you use basically a tank to come in through his front window.”


Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

FBI Retracts Memo Labeling Traditional Catholics ‘Violent White Supremacists,’ Pushing Infiltration Of Christian Communities

This time, the target was traditional Catholic Christians, but you can be sure they won’t stop with Catholics.