More than a year after former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three codefendants were indicted in an alleged bribery scheme that roiled the city’s political circles, their long-awaited trial got underway Wednesday with five very different storylines.
Prosecutors allege Thao, her longtime romantic partner Andre Jones, and father and son Andy and David Duong engaged in a quid pro quo: In the run-up to the 2022 mayoral election, the Duongs would fund a negative ad campaign against Thao’s opponents and pay Jones $300,000 for a no-show job. In exchange, Thao would use her power if elected mayor to give favorable treatment
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