“I believe he did come, yeah.”
— Mario Juarez when confronted on the witness stand about Attorney General Rob Bonta visiting the Evolutionary Homes showroom, Nov. 9, 2026
On July 4, 2024, The Voice of San Francisco published an article titled The Bonta money trail, which detailed the decade-long, financially advantageous relationship between Attorney General Rob Bonta and his wife, Mia, and the Duong family. Bonta previously served as a member of the California State Assembly for the 18th district from 2012 to 2021 and as a member of the Alameda City Council from 2010 to 2012. When the FBI raided the home of recalled Oakland mayor Sheng Thao, the offices of California Waste Solutions (CWS), and the homes of CWS’s owners Andy Duong and his parents, David and Linda Duong, Andy Duong’s Instagram account, resplendent with selfies of him and some of the biggest names in California politics, came to light.
While the photos appear to be taken at events (posing with current governor Gavin Newsom and governor-elect Xavier Becerra, for example), the ones of Bonta and his wife, now District 18 Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, are far more personal. Duong calls Rob Bonta “his brother” in one particularly cringy image of him huddled with the couple in a limousine. In addition to Warriors games and limo rides, Rob and Mia Bonta celebrated Rob’s birthday with David Duong, president of the Vietnamese American Business Association (VABA) and CWS. Images also show the Bontas attended VABA’s 2024 holiday dinner cruise, just six months before the FBI raids. VABA’s website describes the cruise as “the unparalleled opportunity for attendees to mingle with a diverse group of business leaders, community influencers, and local and state politicians. These interactions fostered valuable connections and laid the groundwork for future collaborations…”
For over a decade, the Duong family and their associates have shoveled cash to the current attorney general and his assemblymember wife. Rob Bonta returned over $155,000 in campaign contributions received from the Duongs, but he didn’t return money donated by Duong associates…