Ex-Antioch mayor says federal prosecutors plan to indict him on criminal charges

ANTIOCH — In the latest law enforcement operation targeting an East Bay politician, former Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe has revealed the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking an indictment against him.

In a video statement forwarded to this news organization, Hernandez-Thorpe painted the federal law enforcement action as politically motivated, saying he learned recently the “Trump Justice Department” is planning to indict him. The three-and-a-half minute statement does not address the allegations directly, but Hernandez-Thorpe says he and his lawyer have provided “requested documents” that relate to the investigation.

“For nearly six years, I have lived under the weight of political attacks and relentless public scrutiny,” Hernandez-Thorpe said, adding he learned of the law enforcement action while on a trip visiting colleges with his daughter.

“Our justice system affords everyone under the law due process, not through speculation or public opinion,” Hernandez-Thorpe said. “Whatever happens next, I will face it with the same determination that has guided me throughout my life, from serving in the United States Navy from serving as your mayor, to now being the father of my children, who now deserve a present father during the most important times of their lives.”

The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern California district didn’t immediately respond to inquiries about Hernandez-Thorpe’s statement. Thus far, no criminal charges have been filed, according to court records.

The city’s current mayor, Ron Bernal, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Bernal defeated Thorpe in 2024 with about 63 percent of the vote.

News of an investigation into Hernandez-Thorpe comes amid a series of federal investigations into East Bay politicians, resulting in indictments against Oakland ex-Mayor Sheng Thao, ousted through a 2024 recall effort, as well as bribery charges against DeNova Homes owners on alleging they attempted to pay off an Antioch councilman. There have also been FBI raids against Contra Costa’s most prolific campaign manager and both the county’s outgoing and incoming tax assessors, for reasons federal authorities have yet to disclose.

Hernandez-Thorpe served as mayor of Antioch from 2020-2024 and decisively lost his campaign for re-election. He first entered local politics 12 years ago with a failed 2014 run for city council. His mayoral tenure was not without controversy, especially in 2022 — from allegations of sexual harassment that led to calls for his resignation, to a DUI arrest that resulted in no-contest pleas on misdemeanor charges and a public apology from Hernandez-Thorpe.

Hernandez-Thorpe was also punched in the chest by an attendee at a public luncheon event that year. In 2024, he and other city leaders were accused of violating the Brown Act open-meeting law, but a grand jury and federal prosecutors determined they couldn’t prove a violation had occurred.

He presided over a tumultuous time in Antioch’s history, which included a federal investigation that resulted in Antioch police officers going to prison for violating the civil rights of citizens. All told, 14 ex-Antioch and Pittsburg cops were convicted of at least one crime, ranging from bribery and fraud to violence against citizens.

During that time, officers’ racist, homophobic and sexist text message threads were leaked to the public, including an officer offering a steak dinner to anyone who shot Hernandez-Thorpe — who is Black — with a less-lethal round launcher. In his video statement, Hernandez-Thorpe highlighted that time as mayor, saying he tried to “reform” the police department and led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic.

He’s also only the latest California politician to accuse the U.S. Justice Department of political bias under the Trump Administration. Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he learned his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, had come under investigation for alleged financial crimes and called it a “political with hunt.” Newsom has also denied that a former staffer who pleaded guilty to bank fraud, Dana Williamson, assisted federal authorities in the investigation.

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