This interview aired in the March 3, 2026 episode of Crosscurrents.
Last month, former San Leandro Councilman Bryan Azevedo pleaded guilty in a federal court to two counts of corruption in connection with accepting a bribe from local businessmen.
Azevedo has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in an ongoing federal corruption probe that has already led to indictments against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, her partner, Andre Jones, and Andy and David Duong, the owners of California Waste Solutions -- Oakland's largest recycling contractor. Their trials are scheduled for the fall.
But Azevedo's plea has raised speculation about the nature of the ongoing probe and also raised the possibility that other current or former local elected officials are being investigated for possible wrongdoing.
Nathan Gartrell is an award-winning reporter for the East Bay Times, who covers state and federal courts in Northern California. Here he helps us dig into the developing story.
