CALIFORNIA – The political donations of the Duong family have come under increasing scrutiny following recent FBI raids on the residences of David Duong and his son Andy Duong. On the same day, the home of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was also searched by federal agents.
The Duongs, owners of the recycling company California Waste Solutions in Oakland, have donated millions of dollars to candidates for federal, state, and local offices over the decades.
These donations have been investigated by the California Fair Political Practices Commission and the Oakland Public Ethics Commission. The investigations stem from allegations of funneling money through “straw donors” to local politicians’ committees, including members of the Oakland City Council, which could have influenced contracts and business interests favorable to the Duongs.
Amid the controversy, several politicians have decided to return the donations received from the Duong family to charitable organizations. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who received $155,100 from the Duongs and their associates, announced that he will donate all the money to charities as a precautionary measure. His wife, state Assemblymember Mia Bonta, also plans to do the same with the donations she received.
An analysis of campaign finance records since 2013 revealed that the Bontas received money from supposed straw donors used by the Duongs to make illegal campaign contributions. “Straw donors” are often close associates of the main donor, who contribute small amounts of money and are then reimbursed.
Among the straw donors linked to the Duongs are several men associated with the Music Cafe, a karaoke bar in Chinatown dismantled in 2018 for drug sales and human trafficking. Rob Bonta received $35,800 from Mon Kil Quan, the owner of Music Cafe, and Charlie Ngo, a bar manager arrested during the 2018 raid. Additionally, ARDA LLC, a company owned by Quan, donated $1,500 to Bonta’s campaign in 2017.
The Music Cafe was investigated in 2018 by the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control for allegations of drug sales and prostitution. Undercover agents were able to buy ketamine and cocaine and arrange an encounter with a young woman for sex at a hotel.
During the October 2018 raid, agents recovered large sums of cash, drugs, and other evidence, leading to Ngo’s indictment for possession and sale of ketamine.
Andy Duong was not mentioned in the report nor charged with any crime, although he was linked as the owner of Sancha Bar, a venue shared with the Music Cafe.
Charlie Ngo’s contributions to Rob Bonta’s 2022 re-election campaign and to Terry Wiley’s committee, along with the decision to dismiss the case against Ngo, have raised suspicions about potential undue influences. Mon Kil Quan has also significantly contributed to the campaigns of Rob and Mia Bonta, with donations totaling tens of thousands of dollars.
Nathan Click, a spokesperson for Rob Bonta’s campaign, assured that all the money received from the Duongs and their associates will be donated to charities and that the Bontas do not maintain a close relationship with the Duongs.
The Bontas have publicly supported Sheng Thao in her campaign for the Oakland mayoral seat, who has also received donations from straw donors linked to the Duongs. Quan donated $800 to Thao’s committee in 2019 and another $800 through his company, Teamac Imports.
Despite efforts to contact Quan and Ngo, Oaklandside did not receive responses for this story.
The political donations of the Duong family have raised serious questions and led several politicians to take steps to distance themselves from these controversies, returning donations to charitable organizations in an attempt to maintain transparency and integrity in their campaigns.
