"OAKLAND California Attorney General Rob Bonta received a letter last year warning him that East Bay businessman Andy Duong had a recording of the politician in a compromising position, and that he may be at risk of blackmail. The emergence of the May 2024 letter follows the revelation that Bonta spent $468,000 of his campaign cash on lawyers while being questioned by federal authorities investigating a sprawling East Bay corruption case, which later ensnared Duong and several others."
"On Wednesday, Newman told this news organization that that Bonta's legal bills were for the sole purpose of providing information that could be helpful to the investigation of those implicated in the ongoing criminal probe. He added that Bonta was never a target of the investigation and that the AG's involvement is over. The Los Angeles Times also quoted Newman Wednesday as saying that federal investigators had reached out to the attorney general, since he was a possible victim in the alleged corruption case."
Rob Bonta received a May 9, 2024 letter warning that East Bay businessman Andy Duong had a recording of Bonta in a compromising position and suggested a blackmail risk. The letter was penned and signed by Mario Juarez, a two-time Oakland City Council candidate and longtime political operative whose credibility has been questioned in court filings. Bonta previously spent $468,000 of campaign funds on lawyers while being questioned by federal authorities in a sprawling East Bay corruption probe that later involved Duong and others. Bonta's senior advisor said the letter was shared with law enforcement, that Bonta was never a target, and that the attorney general's involvement has ended.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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