Defense Grills FBI Agent in Ex-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Trial

Defense attorneys cross-examined FBI Special Agent Katherine Barclay on Tuesday morning as the federal bribery and corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and her romantic partner, Andre Jones, continued in its second week, according to NBC Bay Area.

Federal prosecutors allege that Thao and Jones engaged in a bribery scheme with David and Andy Duong, the father-and-son executives behind Oakland recycling contractor California Waste Solutions and a modular housing venture. According to the indictment, the Duongs funneled $75,000 into negative campaign mailers attacking Thao’s opponents during the 2022 mayoral race and paid Jones $95,000 for a "no-show" job in exchange for official city actions benefiting their businesses. Andy Duong has previously pleaded guilty, while David Duong’s trial was severed due to medical issues.

Cross-Examination Over Investigation of Alleged No-Show Job

During Tuesday’s cross-examination, Jones’ defense attorney pressed Agent Barclay—the lead FBI case agent who spent Monday walking jurors through text messages, financial records, and surveillance evidence—on how she determined that Jones did no real work for his $95,000 salary.

When asked whether she had personally visited the modular housing work site or interviewed employees there to verify whether Jones showed up for work, Barclay testified that she had not personally visited the site, stating that other investigators on the team had conducted those inquiries.

Defense Objection Over Witness Demeanor

Before jurors entered the courtroom Tuesday morning, Thao’s defense attorney, Jeff Tsai, also raised an objection to U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers regarding Barclay’s body language on the witness stand. Tsai argued that the FBI agent’s posture and tone appeared noticeably warmer and more cooperative during direct questioning by federal prosecutors than during cross-examination by the defense.