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Some Bay Area politicians returning Duong campaign donations after FBI raid

By
Published  June 28, 2024 6:40am PDT
Oakland
KTVU FOX 2

Politicians returning, donating money from Oakland Duong family

Some Bay Area politicians are returning or donating money they got from the Duong family, whose homes and business was raided by the FBI.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Some Bay Area politicians are giving back donations after FBI raids in Oakland. 

The politically connected Duong family are accused of illegal campaign contributions and the properties of David and Andy Duong were searched on June 20, along with their company, Cal Waste Solutions. Agents also searched the home of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.

The San Jose Spotlight reports that South Bay Congressman Ro Khanna and San Jose City Council District 8 candidate Tam Truong have also received Duong money, and now the politicians plan to give it back. 

Truong’s campaign manager, Manuel Robles, said they received a $700 contribution from Michael Duong, a manager at California Waste Solutions, but the campaign now plans to give the money back.

"Given the news raising questions about these contributions to campaigns throughout the Bay Area and beyond, we are in the process of returning this check," he told San José Spotlight.

Campaign finance reports show David Duong contributed at least $5,800 to Khanna’s congressional campaign committee last year. Khanna, who represents District 17 in Silicon Valley, said he plans to donate the money.

In addition, this week, Congressional candidate Jennifer Tran, who is running to replace U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, held a press conference, acknowledging that she had taken $3,300 from the Duongs, offering to return it.

She also said that her father had been accused of taking part in a "straw donor" scheme involving the Duong family.

"If my father or the Duongs committed a crime, they will do the time," Tran said.

A California Fair Political Practices Commission report from 2021 alleges David Duong and his son Andy Duong were involved in laundering at least 93 political campaign contributions totaling nearly $76,000. The scheme allegedly resulted in the company reimbursing friends for making political cash contributions to candidates across the state, including the South Bay, on their behalf — an illegal practice that uses "straw donors."

That FPPC investigation is still open.

No charges have been filed against the Duongs or any other politician.