Attorney General Aaron Ford of Nevada recently announced that he received $16,000 in donations from members of a politically connected family involved in a campaign finance scandal. The donations came from David Duong, CEO of California Waste Solutions, and his son Andy Duong during Ford’s 2022 re-election bid. In light of the allegations against the Duong family, Ford stated that he would be donating the contributions to charitable organizations, following the lead of several California elected officials who did the same.
The Duong family, who owns California Waste Solutions, has been under scrutiny after a recent FBI raid. The FBI also looked into Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, who allegedly received laundered donations from the Duong family. Thao has denied any wrongdoing and emphasized that the timing of the FBI raid was suspicious, coinciding with a recall effort against her.
Despite the controversy surrounding the Duong family, there is no evidence that they made donations to any other Nevada politicians or campaigns. California Waste Solutions, the family’s recycling company, has maintained its innocence in the matter.
Following the FBI raids and investigations, politicians in Silicon Valley, such as Rep. Ro Khanna, California Assemblymember Evan Low, and Rep. Adam Schiff, who received donations from the Duong family, have expressed intentions to return or donate the money to other causes. This move comes after a report from California’s Fair Political Practices Commission revealed that the Duongs used intermediates or “straw donors” to make campaign contributions without disclosing the true source of the funds.
In response to the situation, Attorney General Aaron Ford’s campaign confirmed his decision to donate the funds received from the Duong family to charitable organizations. The attorney general’s gesture reflects a growing trend among politicians to distance themselves from tainted donations and uphold transparency in campaign financing.
As the investigation into the alleged campaign finance scheme continues, it remains to be seen how other recipients of donations from the Duong family will address the issue. The FBI has not disclosed the reasons behind the raids, leaving many questions unanswered in this ongoing political controversy.
