Leigh Hanson, former chief of staff for recalled Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, was dismissed from her position after a memo emerged referring to Black individuals as 'tokens.' Although Hanson maintains the reference pointed to specific individuals hired by the recall campaign, the fallout from the memo led to public outrage. Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins, who had retained Hanson post-recall, acknowledged her departure in a statement and confirmed that Deputy Mayor Burt Jones would step in as chief of staff. The memo’s content surfaced amidst ongoing investigations into bribery and corruption linked to Thao.
The phrase CM Fife can outreach to NAACP - use BP as tokens sparked outrage, with Hanson asserting it referred to certain individuals paid by the recall campaign.
In a statement, Leigh Hanson argued that the context of her memo was misrepresented, clarifying that BP referenced specific Black individuals involved with the recall campaign.
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