Ex-Oakland mayor, co-defendants in court seeking to suppress evidence in federal corruption case

"Attorneys for the four defendants want the judge to suppress evidence seized with search warrants. Attorney for David Duong, August Gugelmann, claims it relies heavily on an affidavit that contains, 'false information and missing information.' The attorneys also arguing the affidavit's showing of probable cause is based on the federal informant known as Co-conspirator 1."

"The attorneys argue that Co-conspirator 1 has a decades-long history of defrauding business partners, including by forging documents and then falsely accusing those same partners of wrongdoing in order to escape liability."

"Federal officials say a money trail led to a federal indictment alleging a pay-to-play scheme where former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her romantic partner, Andre Jones, traded political promises to the Duong family's businesses for campaign financing and cash. All four have plead not guilty."

"Thao's attorney, Jeffery Tsai, claims the affidavit failed to establish 'factual nexus,' a legal term meaning, in part, to link a defendant to a crime. He said computers and phones were seized, but did not establish where the documents came from. Adding, documents show legal contracts but no evidence that money went to Thao."

Four defendants—Andre Jones, former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, and brothers David and Andy Duong—appeared in federal court to challenge evidence seized via search warrants in a bribery and corruption case. Defense attorneys argue the affidavit supporting the warrants contains false and missing information and heavily relies on a federal informant (Co-conspirator 1, believed to be Oakland businessman Mario Juarez) with a documented history of defrauding business partners and forging documents. The prosecution alleges a pay-to-play scheme where Thao and Jones traded political promises to the Duong family's businesses for campaign financing and cash. Defense lawyers contend the affidavit fails to establish probable cause linking defendants to crimes and that seized documents show only legal contracts without evidence of illicit activity. The judge indicated the probable cause standard is low and will consider the motion further.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco