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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