Oakland’s Duong family has showered money on politicians for decades



From Donald Trump to Kamala Harris, the Duongs and California Waste Solutions have spent big in politics. The FBI raided their homes last week.

Although the FBI has yet to say why it raided the homes of David Duong and Andy Duong—the owners of Oakland’s curbside recycling contractor California Waste Solutions—the investigation could be related to politics. 


Duong and his son Andy have been under investigation by state and city political regulators since 2019 for allegedly laundering political money. California’s Fair Political Practices Commission and the Oakland Public Ethics Commission allege that members of the Duong family illegally channeled large amounts of money into the campaign coffers of local politicians, using “straw donors” to hide the true source of these funds.


The FPPC and Oakland Public Ethics Commission have yet to complete their investigations, and it’s unclear what they’ll find or if they’ll ever officially charge the Duongs with any violations.


For decades, David Duong and his family have given increasingly large contributions to federal and state political candidates. In California, the Duongs have lavished the Democratic Party. Nationally, the family’s political spending has been more balanced, with the Republican Party and candidates like Donald Trump receiving big checks as well as Democrats.

David Duong has given over $2 million to federal political candidates

In 1988, David Duong wrote a $500 check to Leo T. McCarthy, California’s lieutenant governor, who was running for U.S. Senate. It was Duong’s first contribution to a candidate running for federal office. Over the next decade, Duong, whose CoGiDo recycling company operated in San Francisco at the time, would contribute small amounts to the campaign committees of Congressman Ron Dellums, Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, and Al Gore’s 2000 presidential run.


By the late 2000s, Duong’s political giving to candidates for federal office had grown to tens of thousands every year. Democrats were among the biggest beneficiaries. Duong gave $104,000 to the Obama Victory Fund, which the Center for Public Integrity described as a “joint fundraising organization” that provided cash to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee to support Obama in battleground states.


In more recent years, Duong’s political giving has shifted to the Republican Party. In 2020, he gave the Trump Victory political action committee over $250,000. Two years later he contributed $155,000 to a Republican PAC that was funding the campaigns of dozens of GOP candidates for the House of Representatives.



Andy Duong has contributed $30,000 to candidates for federal office since 2012, according to campaign finance data. He gave $10,000 to committees supporting Barack Obama and has provided $7,200 to Congressman Eric Swalwell’s campaigns over the past decade.

In California, the Duongs have focused money on Democrats

The Duongs have given thousands to some of California’s top Democrats. Among them is Attorney General Rob Bonta, who represented Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro in the state assembly from 2012 to 2021 before becoming the state’s top law enforcement officer. Bonta received thousands from David and Andy Duong in 2021, but his campaign committee appears to have returned most of the money. However, last year, Bonta took $6,100 from Andy Duong and $18,200 from David Duong for his 2026 reelection campaign, according to campaign finance records.


Dozens of other candidates for state assembly, state senate, and governor benefited from the Duongs’ giving, including former Gov. Jerry Brown, whose 2010 campaign got $10,000 from David Duong, and Kamala Harris, who got $11,500 for her 2010 campaign for attorney general. Combined, David and Andy Duong spent approximately $200,000 on state political campaigns.


California Waste Solutions and the Duongs have also sponsored numerous events and held celebrations where they’ve feted powerful politicians. For example, the Vietnamese American Business Association, an organization run by the Duongs, held a gala celebration in Milpitas last year. A =AZV73vDRXCaM-XoWxdxVZ7lxnbf3lTQ55asaj-w3xmxE2iFAXHBd7kXYhFhQbBvmtLXpPuBOd9UNOUU56INh-MN07-UlPS3p4fTXoq_8asl-kdQRsYyDgtAvtXDwGPujiQ4&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R]poster  for the event advertised guests such as California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.


The Duongs have also collected and posted numerous photographs of themselves with political leaders, from President Joseph Biden to members of the Oakland City Council.

Recipient Amount Date of contribution

TRUMP VICTORY $250,000 2020
TAKE BACK THE HOUSE 2022 $70,000 2021
NRCC $47,700 2021
NRSC $41,300 2024
DNC SERVICES CORP / DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $36,500 2021
DNC SERVICES CORP / DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $36,500 2021
DNC SERVICES CORP / DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $36,500 2021
OBAMA VICTORY FUND 2012 $35,800 2012
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE $33,500 2020
DNC SERVICES CORP./DEM. NAT'L COMMITTEE $33,400 2015
HILLARY VICTORY FUND $33,400 2016
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $32,400 2013
DNC SERVICES CORP./DEM. NAT'L COMMITTEE $30,700 2016
TAKE BACK THE HOUSE 2022 $30,000 2021
PROTECT THE HOUSE 2024 $30,000 2023
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $25,800 2012
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE $25,000 2007
TAKE BACK THE HOUSE 2022 $25,000 2022
TED CRUZ VICTORY FUND $25,000 2023
NRCC $20,000 2022
TAKE BACK THE HOUSE 2022 $20,000 2022
NRCC $19,200 2021
NRCC $18,400 2023
TEAM MORRISEY $18,000 2022
CALIFORNIA SENATE 2010 $17,600 2010
DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $17,600 2010
PATRIOT FREEDOM PAC INC $17,500 2024
NRCC $17,300 2021
NRCC $16,500 2022
HOUSE SENATE VICTORY FUND $15,200 2009
HOUSE SENATE VICTORY FUND $15,200 2009
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $15,000 2011
OBAMA VICTORY FUND 2012 $15,000 2011
OBAMA VICTORY FUND $14,250 2008
KAINE VICTORY FUND $12,500 2017
TEAM MORRISEY $11,250 2023
TEAM MORRISEY $11,250 2024
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $10,000 2014
DNC SERVICES CORP./DEM. NAT'L COMMITTEE $10,000 2015
DEMOCRATIC HOPE FUND $10,000 2015
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF VIRGINIA $10,000 2017
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF IOWA $10,000 2020
ALASKA REPUBLICAN PARTY $10,000 2020
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA $10,000 2020
INDIANA REPUBLICAN STATE COMMITTEE, INC. $10,000 2020
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF LOUISIANA $10,000 2020
IDAHO REPUBLICAN PARTY $10,000 2020
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ARKANSAS $10,000 2020
DC REPUBLICAN PARTY FEDERAL ACCOUNT $10,000 2020
ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY - FEDERAL $10,000 2020
ALABAMA REPUBLICAN PARTY $10,000 2020
MAINE REPUBLICAN PARTY $10,000 2020
MICHIGAN REPUBLICAN PARTY $10,000 2020
HAWAII REPUBLICAN PARTY $10,000 2020
CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PARTY FEDERAL ACCT. $10,000 2020
ARIZONA REPUBLICAN PARTY $10,000 2020
KANSAS REPUBLICAN PARTY $10,000 2020
GEORGIA REPUBLICAN PARTY INC. $10,000 2020
MARYLAND REPUBLICAN STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE $10,000 2020
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA - FEDERAL $10,000 2020
COLORADO REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE $10,000 2020
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF KENTUCKY $10,000 2020
TAKE BACK THE HOUSE 2022 $10,000 2021
NRCC $10,000 2021
WEST VIRGINIA REPUBLICAN PARTY, INC. $10,000 2022
CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY $10,000 2022
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS $10,000 2023
KAINE VICTORY FUND $9,900 2024
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $9,650 2008
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF VIRGINIA $9,100 2024
OBAMA VICTORY FUND 2012 $9,000 2012
DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $7,600 2009
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $7,600 2009
DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $7,600 2009
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $7,600 2009
TEAM DESANTIS 2024 $6,700 2023
JOSH HAWLEY VICTORY COMMITTEE $6,600 2024
UPSHUR COUNTY REPUBLICAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE $6,250 2024
KAINE FOR COMMON GROUND PAC $5,800 2021
BARBARA LEE FOR CONGRESS $5,800 2021
BARBARA LEE FOR CONGRESS $5,800 2021
MCMORRIS RODGERS WIN THE FUTURE FUND $5,600 2021
DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $5,200 2009
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $5,000 2009
OBAMA VICTORY FUND 2012 $5,000 2011
OBAMA VICTORY FUND 2012 $5,000 2011
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $5,000 2011
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $5,000 2011
OBAMA VICTORY FUND 2012 $5,000 2011
OBAMA VICTORY FUND 2012 $5,000 2011
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $5,000 2011
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $5,000 2011
OBAMA VICTORY FUND 2012 $5,000 2012
DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE $5,000 2012
OBAMA VICTORY FUND 2012 $5,000 2012
RESPONSIBILITY AND FREEDOM WORK PAC (RFWPAC) $5,000 2020
MAJORITY COMMITTEE PAC--MC PAC $5,000 2021
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP FUND $5,000 2021
MAJORITY COMMITTEE PAC--MC PAC $5,000 2022
TIM SCOTT VICTORY FUND $5,000 2022