Progressive California county appears to recall two Soros-backed politicians amid devastating crime surge
Voters in Alameda County, California, appear to have chosen to remove two George Soros-backed politicians from office amid a devastating crime surge that has prompted many businesses to flee the area.
Ahead of the November election, separate recall efforts were launched against Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (D) and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (D).
'The phony "progressive" movement is officially dead.'
Recall campaign leaders, who blamed Thao and Price for the county's recent crime surge, gathered enough local signatures to force an election to keep or remove the politicians.
With 100% of the 108 precincts tallied, nearly 32,000 residents, 65.19%, voted to oust Thao.
With full results from all 570 precincts, more than 134,000 locals, 64.79%, voted to remove Price.
The recall efforts to replace Price, Save Alameda for Everyone and Supporters of Recall Pamela Price, spent approximately $2.6 million on their campaigns. According to KGO-TV, they were backed by several police officers' unions, PG&E, and hedge fund executive Philip Dreyfuss.
In addition to a recall effort launched by Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao, Thao faced calls to resign from the Oakland Police Officer's Association. In August, the union urged Thao to step down to allow residents to vote for a new mayor in the November election.
Union president Huy Nguyen stated, "Today we are asking Mayor Sheng Thao to recall as mayor immediately for a lot of the failures in this city, going from crime, the budget crisis, the distraction of the FBI raid that prevents our ability to function as a city."
Thao is currently wrapped up in an FBI investigation; however, no charges have been filed against her.
She refused the union's calls to step down and accused it of "playing politics."
While the final outcomes have not been officially announced as of Wednesday afternoon, if the results hold, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors will appoint a DA in Price's place to finish out her term, and the Oakland City Council will step in for Thao.
In the summer of 2023, even the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Oakland branch acknowledged that the area's crime "doom-loop" resulted from "progressive policies and failed leadership."
Businesses that have fled the area under Thao's and Price's leadership include Denny's, In-N-Out, Black Bear Diner, Subway, and Starbucks, to name a few. Clorox Company, Blue Shield of California, and Kaiser Permanente were forced to increase their security due to the area's uptick in criminal activity.
Seneca Scott, the founder of Neighbors Together Oakland and a recall spokesperson, stated, “The phony ‘progressive’ movement is officially dead. May it rest in pieces.”
Neither Thao's nor Price's campaigns responded to KGO's requests for comment.
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Police union demands Democratic California mayor resign amid federal probe, upcoming recall vote
The Oakland Police Officer's Association called for Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (D) to resign immediately on Tuesday amid an ongoing federal investigation and an upcoming recall vote, Fox News Digital reported.
The union's president, Huy Nguyen, stated during a recent news conference that Thao's office had depleted resources from law enforcement and failed to address the city's ongoing crime crisis.
'The process drags out longer.'
"Today we are asking Mayor Sheng Thao to recall as mayor immediately for a lot of the failures in this city, going from crime, the budget crisis, the distraction of the FBI raid that prevents our ability to function as a city," Nguyen stated, according to KTVU. "Every day, our citizens feel the tragedies. That they cannot exit their own home or walk to the streets of Oakland, calling 911 and not getting the services they need."
According to Nguyen, because of understaffing issues and limited police resources, the department has been unable to respond to every emergency call or it runs the risk of longer response times.
Following the police union's demands, Thao released a video statement on social media attempting to defend her track record.
"It's really unfortunate that the OPOA is obviously playing politics," Thao stated. "Right now, during this very sensitive time, we need to come together. We see that what we are working on, in regards to the comprehensive approach for public safety, is working."
Thao, pulling Oakland Police Department data, contended that the crime rate for many offenses is down, including homicide, aggravated assault, rape, robbery, burglary, and motor vehicle theft.
"Public safety is my number one priority," Thao continued. "Under my administration, we've had the most officers on the street than we've ever had in the last three and a half years."
The police union pushed back on Thao's claims, noting that not enough has been done to provide law enforcement with the required resources.
Tim Dolan, vice president of the Oakland POA, stated, "This is a time to invest more in the city, hire more police officers, retain the police officers and fix the crime issue. And going forward, that's what we'd like to see from the next mayor."
Thao will face a recall election in November after residents gathered more than enough verified signatures to force the vote. However, the police union believes the mayor should not wait that long.
"If she resigns by this week, the election will take place in November, versus waiting through the recall. Then it will happen in April and the process drags out longer when we need to work into the new budget immediately," Nguyen explained.
Thao is also currently wrapped up in an FBI investigation. While no charges have been filed against her, Thao's home was raided by federal agents last month.
The mayor has maintained that the probe is "not about" her. However, the investigation recently expanded, with the FBI requesting phone directory records from the Oakland Police Department. The federal investigators also requested documents showing all federal funding sources since 2021.
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'Massive corruption' probe into Dem California mayor expands to police department amid recall effort
An ongoing FBI investigation into Democratic Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has recently expanded to the local police department, according to multiple local reports. Meanwhile, Thao is simultaneously facing an upcoming recall election later this year.
While no charges have been filed at this time, federal agents raided Thao's home last month, seizing her phone and computer. The FBI also took electronic devices belonging to Andre Jones, Thao's partner, who has worked in politics for decades, according to Oaklandside.
'This is significant.'
During a press conference, Thao previously claimed that the ongoing federal investigation was "not about" her.
As part of the probe, the FBI also raided three other properties linked to the politically influential Duong family, known for owning California Waste Solutions, a recycling company.
It is unclear what potential crimes the FBI is investigating; however, reports have speculated that the probe may be regarding a campaign contribution laundering scheme.
Federal investigators have since demanded phone directory records from the Oakland Police Department, Oaklandside reported. The city must also produce documents showing all federal funding sources since 2021.
The FBI's subpoena requested "all Oakland Police Department reports made by or involving any member of the Duong family" since April 2024.
Professor Greg Woods, with the Department of Justice Studies at San Jose State University, told KABC-TV, "This is significant because we appear to be entertaining a massive corruption investigation that is currently under way by the grand jury, at the instruction of the Department of Justice."
He noted that the FBI's requests for records from the police department do not necessarily indicate that it is being investigated for wrongdoing but rather that federal agents may be trying to uncover instances in which victims have filed complaints and to piece together a timeline.
"They would call the Oakland Police Department to report such an encounter, such as potential victimization," Woods added. "To, in fact, charge somebody with a crime and place them into custody. And then to continue this judicial process to hold individuals accountable."
Thao has maintained that she has done nothing wrong.
Neither the FBI nor the Oakland Police Department responded to KABC's request for comment.
Oakland residents, fed up with the area's crime and homelessness crisis due to progressive policies imposed by local leaders, have successfully secured enough signatures to force a recall election for Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (D), Blaze News previously reported.
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Newsom rescinds offer to address Oakland crime surge after radical Soros DA rejects aid despite looming recall
George Soros-backed Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (D), who is facing an upcoming recall election over her soft-on-crime policies, refused to onboard Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom's attorneys, according to a letter obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Earlier this year, Newsom's office announced that it would attempt to help Oakland address its rampant crime crisis by deploying additional law enforcement officers and sending more attorneys to prosecute violent offenses, Blaze News previously reported. The governor's office claimed the "new partnership" would "increase the capacity to prosecute suspects involved in violent crimes, serious drug-related crimes, and property crimes — including retail theft and auto burglary — in Oakland and the East Bay," according to a press release.
'We have decided to shift these resources.'
"The partnership will result in the deployment of deputy attorneys general from the California Department of Justice and attorneys from the California National Guard — adding capacity to prosecute suspects arrested for serious and complex crimes in Alameda County," it read.
Newsom called on criminals to be "held accountable" by "using the full and appropriate weight of the law."
At the time of the announcement, Price appeared to welcome Newsom's offer, stating that she assigned "Alameda County career prosecutor Assistant DA Michael Nieto to represent my office in this collaborative effort."
According to the recent letter obtained by DCNF, Newsom's office still plans to support the Oakland area by providing additional law enforcement resources, but it rescinded its offer to send additional attorneys.
Newsom's Cabinet secretary, Ann Patterson, claimed Price failed to onboard the attorneys.
"After several months of communications, however, including fulfilling requests from your office for resumes and interviews, you have not taken the initial steps of finalizing the memorandum of understanding or deputizing Cal Guard attorneys to work in your office," Patterson wrote. "Accordingly, we have decided to shift these resources."
A December crime report revealed that Oakland crime is on the rise, with motor vehicle theft up 44%, robbery up 38%, burglary up 23%, violent crime up 21%, and overall crime up 17%.
Oakland residents are putting their feet down on progressive policies that have led to a crime and homelessness crisis. Both Price and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (D) will face a recall vote later this year after residents gathered enough signatures to force an election, Blaze News previously reported. Thao is currently entangled in an ongoing FBI investigation.
Loren Taylor, a Democratic mayoral candidate seeking to replace Thao, recently told the San Francisco Chronicle, "To say that this is the worst compilation of troubling, challenging situations that I've seen is an understatement."
"A fiscal crisis, hundreds of millions of dollars, compounded with a public safety crisis that has folks fearful of moving around the city and businesses leaving town, combined with [a] homelessness crisis that continues to expand despite things getting better in neighboring cities. … This storm of events is the opposite of what Oakland needs right now when we're trying to rebound as a city, post-pandemic," Taylor said.
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Oakland residents move to oust progressive leaders over rampant crime, homelessness: 'Chaos'
Oakland, California, residents are moving to oust the city's progressive leaders who have overseen a significant increase in crime and homelessness.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (D), currently battling a recall effort, is entangled in an FBI investigation. Several city staffers were recently forced to turn over records to the bureau in response to a federal grand jury subpoena.
'Oakland is in a crisis.'
For the first time last week, Thao addressed the news that law enforcement agents raided her home in June, repeatedly noting that she could not share much information due to the "ongoing investigation."
Thao will face a recall election in November after Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao secured over 25,000 verified signatures ahead of the July 22 deadline. Those behind the recall effort have slammed Thao for firing former Oakland Police Department Chief LeRonne Armstrong and allowing a "surge of serious and violent crimes" that prompted a number of businesses to close.
After Thao's home was raided, her attorney and chief spokesperson abruptly resigned. She has not been charged with any crime.
Loren Taylor, a Democratic mayoral candidate running to replace Thao, told the San Francisco Chronicle, "To say that this is the worst compilation of troubling, challenging situations that I've seen is an understatement."
"A fiscal crisis, hundreds of millions of dollars, compounded with a public safety crisis that has folks fearful of moving around the city, and businesses leaving town, combined with homelessness crisis that continues to expand despite things getting better in neighboring cities. … This storm of events is the opposite of what Oakland needs right now when we're trying to rebound as a city, post-pandemic," Taylor stated.
J.J. Jenkins, a local bartender, described Oakland's current conditions as "chaos."
"Every time I think the pendulum has swung, something like Juneteenth [shooting] happens. And I don't think it's done yet. It's going to get worse before it gets better," Jenkins told the Chronicle.
Former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris (D) stated, "Oakland is in a crisis."
Harris told the Chronicle, "Many of these problems are not new. They continue to evolve. They require ideas and renewed commitment to a plan of execution. The city must get beyond finger-pointing and the blame game as soon as possible."
West Oakland Pastor Dr. Ken Chambers, who provides homeless services through his church, told the news outlet that crime, homelessness, human trafficking, and prostitution have become a big issue in the city.
"I've been in Oakland 58 years. I've never seen anything like this before. It's a multitask, problematic, complicated situation," Chambers told the news outlet.
Thao is not the only progressive politician who will face an upcoming recall election.
George Soros-funded Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (D), who has gained a soft-on-crime reputation, also made it onto the ballot after a recall effort, which only needed 73,000 verified signatures, submitted roughly 123,000 signatures to election officials. Those behind the recall torched Price for failing public safety and creating a "doom loop" with her "progressive policies and failed leadership."
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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.
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Mayor of crime-ridden Oakland will face upcoming recall vote — and FBI raids home
Sheng Thao, the Democratic mayor of crime-ridden Oakland, California, will face a recall election in November after a group of fed-up residents successfullygathered enough signatures.
The recall campaign, Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao, submitted more than 40,000 signatures several weeks ahead of its July 22 deadline. To get on the upcoming ballot, the group only needed to secure 25,000 verified signatures.
'You created a public safety crisis.'
Superior Court Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte, who spearheaded the effort, toldKTVU, "This historic achievement marks the first recall in Oakland's history, with Oakland voters signing with a sense of urgency and purpose to recall this dishonest and incompetent mayor."
"Thao's actions have pushed Oakland to the brink, but the community is saying, 'NO MORE. We want Thao gone,'" Harbin-Forte stated.
According to the recall effortswebsite, the group is moving to remove Thao from office for missing a retail theft grant and firing former Oakland Police Department chief LeRonne Armstrong, among many other reasons. The area has struggled with a severe uptick in crime that has prompted a number of businesses to close down.
"You created a public safety crisis by systematically dismantling the Oakland Police Department, leading to the city's reputation as one of the most dangerous in America," the recall effort stated about Thao. "Your unjust termination of Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong resulted in a surge of serious and violent crimes, delayed OPD's exit from 20 years of federal oversight, and extended the time Oakland must continue paying a federal monitor $1 million each year. You admittedly missed a deadline to apply for a grant to combat retail theft. You failed to implement Oakland's Encampment Management Policy, leading to open-air drug markets and chop shops, making Oakland a national leader in stolen cars. You have made numerous misleading and untrue statements to the public. You failed to keep your promise to appoint a new police chief or declare a state of emergency. In short, you lack the competency, credibility, judgment and ability to lead what was once a great American city."
KNTV reported that the FBI raided a home owned by Thao on Thursday morning. While the reason for the raid has not yet been revealed, the outlet stated that the mayor's office is aware of the FBI's actions and deferred all questions to the bureau.
In a statement, the FBI said that it is "conducting court authorized law enforcement activity on Maiden Lane. We are unable to provide additional information at this time."
Thao was scheduled to attend an event on Thursday morning but canceled.
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