Spokesman for embattled Oakland mayor resigns after recall campaign qualifies for ballot, FBI raid: report

It’s been a rough week for Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. 

Last week, a recall campaign to oust her from office qualified for the November ballot. Less than 24 hours later, the FBI raided her home. On Monday, her attorney abruptly quit. And on Tuesday, her chief spokesperson resigned. 

Francis Zamora confirmed to KTVU Tuesday that he had resigned from his position as chief of communications. 

“I thank my colleagues for their professionalism and dedication. It was an honor to serve the City of Oakland beside them,” Zamora wrote in an email to the station. 

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L-R: Francis Zamora and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.  (Oakland.gov; Getty Images)

Zamora will be replaced by Pati Navalta, who will serve as interim communications director until Mayor Thao can find a permanent replacement. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office to inquire about the timing of Zamora’s departure, but did not hear back before publication. 

His departure came a day after Thao addressed the recall campaign and the subsequent FBI raid during a press conference. The mayor was defiant that she did nothing wrong. 

An FBI agent at Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s home. (KTVU)

“I want to be crystal clear. I have done nothing wrong,” Thao said, reading prepared remarks from the podium. “I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me. I have not been charged with a crime, and I am confident I will not be charged with a crime because I am innocent.” 

Later that day, her attorney, Tony Brass, resigned because the mayor had conducted the press conference without informing him. 

Last Thursday, FBI agents carried boxes out of the home she shares with her son and partner as part of an investigation that included searches of two other houses owned by another family. 

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The raid came after backers of a mayoral recall were informed by the city clerk that they had collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, likely in November. 

Backers of the recall say public safety and economic vitality have worsened under the politically progressive mayor, and that she should not have fired Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.