Rob Bonta’s on-again, off-again ties to the Duongs

Jul 03, 2024

Presented by Californians for a Connected Future, a project of USTelecom

Rob Bonta takes questions from the media.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta. | Damian Dovarganes/AP

Programming note: We’ll be off this Thursday and Friday for the Fourth of July but will be back in your inboxes on Monday. We hope you have a fantastic Independence Day!

DRIVING THE DAY: In a late call with lawmakers on Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom scrapped his last-minute push to put a second crime-fighting measure before voters this fall, making a dramatic about-face hours before he heads to Washington to defend Joe Biden. Read more about it here...

THE BUZZ: JUST ACQUAINTANCES — The scion of a prominent waste-hauler family at the center of recent FBI raids in Oakland, has portrayed a close, almost familial connection with Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, who is widely expected to launch a run for governor.

“Uncle Assemblyman Rob Bonta,” reads the caption of a 2017 photo Andy Duong posted online of the then-state lawmaker holding Duong’s infant daughter.

Bonta’s campaign says the relationship is much simpler.

“He was a donor to his campaigns,” spokesperson Nathan Click said in an email Tuesday.

Bonta’s camp this week said the AG is giving away all of the campaign contributions that the Duongs and their associates have ever contributed to him — $155,100 in total — out of “an abundance of caution.”

But he didn’t explain why Bonta resumed taking contributions from the family last year after returning money from them in 2021 due to “a pending DOJ matter from before he took office" — other than to note that the case had concluded. Bonta’s office said the issue in question was a Duong relative's conviction on a felony charge related to Medi-Cal fraud, which was reduced to a misdemeanor following a plea deal.

Photos on Andy Duong's social media profile show him and Bonta posing courtside at a Golden State Warriors game, grinning with former pro boxer Manny Pacquiao both at his Los Angeles mansion and in what appears to be the back of a limousine, along with Bonta’s wife, Assemblymember Mia Bonta.

FBI officials haven’t disclosed the nature of the recent raids targeting the home of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three properties associated with the Duong family, which owns California Waste Solutions. But the case that has upended Oakland politics has also drawn attention to Bonta, California's top prosecutor. Rival campaigns in the 2026 governor’s race are already circulating the photos of Bonta with Duong — an early indicator of how the relationship could play in the fiercely competitive contest.

Those images aren’t the only documented ties between Duong and Bonta. Among the public records naming Bonta and the Duongs: a 2018 letter Bonta signed onto as a state lawmaker representing the East Bay, urging San Jose to consider the Duongs’ company for a city contract. Bonta’s name also pops up as a target of the family’s campaign spending in a 2021 investigation by the California Fair Political Practices Commission into the Duongs’ fundraising practices.

Click said the letter to San Jose officials, signed by four state lawmakers, was coordinated by Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus members. He said that Bonta’s only interest was “ensuring a minority and immigrant owned business based in his district was given fair consideration.” The Duongs have often spoken about their Vietnamese-American and immigrant heritage.

The attorney general has not been accused of wrongdoing, and the Duongs have given money to numerous other Bay Area politicians. Duong's Instagram page features photos of him with countless political figures, from Newsom to Hillary Clinton.

Duong is the son of California Waste Solutions CEO David Duong, who has built a large recycling business by contracting with cities in the Bay Area. In a 2016 email to his father that was cited in the 2021 Fair Political Practices Commission case, the younger Duong describes Bonta as a rising political star who’s willing to help the family.

“He is one of the best ally to ever support and will deliver whatever we ask for when help needs [sic] in the future,” he wrote, referring to then-Assemblymember Bonta.

Click dismissed the characterization: “That has never been true.”

The FPPC case alleges that Andy Duong and the company used friends and acquaintances to get around donation limits, illegally funneling large contributions to Oakland City Council candidates. The Duongs have not been charged with a violation, though the FPPC’s case is still open, according to the commission.

Andy Duong and his family’s company didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment. Spokespeople for CWS have denied any wrongdoing in public statements.

Meanwhile, Duong's social media posts are providing fodder for Bonta’s rivals.

In a 2021 post congratulating Bonta after Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed him AG, Duong describes watching his political career evolve over the years. He added, “Huge congratulation [sic] to you Brother! Cannot wait to see what else the future has to offer to you.”

— with help from Christopher Cadelago and Melanie Mason

GOOD MORNING. Happy Wednesday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook.

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WHERE’S GAVIN? Heading out to Washington. More on that below...

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Let’s help connect Californians to high-speed internet. We have the chance to make real progress in bringing broadband to all Californians. Modernizing our communications networks is the first step. More than 20 organizations across our state – representing communities from rural to urban, young and old – all agree that we need more high-speed, resilient communications networks. Broadband access unlocks opportunities. Learn more.

CAMPAIGN YEAR

Gavin Newsom walks through the spin room at Georgia Institute of Technology's McCamish Pavilion.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom walks through the spin room at Georgia Institute of Technology's McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta on Thursday shortly before former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden met in a 2024 debate hosted by CNN. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

ON THE ROAD AGAIN — After informing Sacramento Democrats last night that he was dropping his ballot proposal on crime, Newsom heads to Washington today to meet with President Joe Biden and fellow Democratic governors amid the fallout from the president’s disastrous debate with Donald Trump.

"Governor Newsom will head to White House tomorrow to attend the Governors meeting and to stand with the President,” a spokesperson for the California Democrat said late Tuesday.

As White House aides scramble to tamp down fears about the president’s cognitive abilities in the wake of Thursday’s shaky performance, Biden will gather with Democratic governors and congressional leaders Wednesday evening. The meeting follows a Monday call in which two dozen Democratic governors gathered to discuss how they should respond to the crisis situation. Newsom, whose name frequently appears in polls alongside other Democratic surrogates like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker as potential replacements, was not on the call.

Newsom is a steadfast Biden supporter, and was on hand in Atlanta last week to try and buoy the president from the spin room after a debate that saw the 81-year-old incumbent appearing confused and losing his train of thought. Newsom, while acknowledging a lackluster performance, quickly dismissed calls for Biden to step aside, saying that the American public should look at his record in office — not a 90 minute debate.

GARVEY SPEAKS — Republican Senate candidate Steve Garvey on Tuesday told Fox LA's Elex Michaelson that he voted for the former president in the GOP primary over former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley — and that he intends to vote for Trump in the fall.

"I feel for him," Garvey said of Biden's current political woes. "But we're in a state of crisis in terms of leadership." Garvey added that he thinks Biden should step aside and let another Democrat run.

Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more.

STATE CAPITOL

Assemblymember Mia Bonta speaks during a meeting.

Assemblymember Mia Bonta speaks during a meeting by the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 14, 2022. | Jeff Chiu/AP

BEND DON’T BREAK — Faced with intense questioning from lawmakers during committee hearings yesterday, Mia Bonta had to water down parts of her landmark bill that would hold broadband companies accountable for providing lower-quality internet to minority groups. But the bones are still good.

With the bill’s support resting on razor-thin margins, Bonta accepted amendments to bring her legislation closer in line with federal rules and agreed to severely reduce who could prosecute cases of internet access discrimination.

However, the core of her bill — a legal standard that holds broadband companies liable if their high-speed internet build-out excludes minority communities, regardless of whether the exclusion was intentional — survived despite fierce opposition from broadband companies.

“We are at the point now where internet service is an essential right, effectively, and we need to be able to maintain that higher standard,” Bonta said.

Her bill narrowly advanced through the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee on a 10-3 vote Tuesday and was on track to clear the Senate Judiciary Committee. It’s all but certain to face continued pushback from internet giants and faces a tough path to Newsom’s desk. — Tyler Katzenberger

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CLIMATE AND ENERGY

CRUDE CONFUSION — California’s oil regulator issued 30 new drilling permits right after a new law took effect last week limiting drilling. Then yesterday it rescinded them. The episode reflects the messy fight that still lies ahead over the law. Read more in last night’s California Climate.

Top Talkers

— Newsom on Monday will head to New Hampshire to campaign for Joe Biden, Democrats in New Hampshire. (Sacramento Bee)

— Sacramento-based Democratic consultant Dan Strother urges the president to step down and “preserve your legacy.” (Real Clear Politics)

— It’s not just a punchline: There’s a terrifying SEAL Team 6 scenario lurking in the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling. (POLITICO)

A message from Californians for a Connected Future, a project of USTelecom:

Support a more connected future by expanding broadband across California. High-speed internet is transforming the way we live, driving economic growth and workforce development, and creating new opportunities for Californians to participate in the global economy. And as natural disasters become more frequent and severe, high-speed networks help first responders communicate with each other and the public in emergency situations.

More than 20 organizations across our state – representing communities from rural to urban, young and old – all agree: we need high-speed internet infrastructure to expand opportunity, enhance communications network resiliency to keep communities safe, and support a more connected future. Let’s modernize California's communications networks. Learn more.

AROUND THE STATE

— Authorities are warning about extreme health and wildfire risks across California as the longest heatwave of the year kicks off. (Los Angeles Times)

— The fast-moving Thompson Fire has forced 2,000 evacuations in California’s Butte County. (San Francisco Chronicle)

— Amid extreme heat and a heightened fire risk, Bay Area cities are trading Fourth of July fireworks for drone shows. (The Mercury News)

— with help from Tyler Katzenberger

PLAYBOOKERS

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BELATED B-DAY WISHES — (was Tuesday): Larry David … Rivka Dori

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