The Story They Didn't Want East Bay Insiders to Write

For the first time, East Bay Insiders founder Steve Tavares tells the behind-the-scenes story of how he was unexpectedly pulled into what would become the East Bay's sprawling public corruption scandal. Steve reveals the alleged efforts to influence his reporting surrounding an infamous 2023 Vietnam trip, including escalating offers of money that he later believes were intended to discourage negative coverage. He walks listeners through what happened, how he responded, and how the story ultimately became part of the FBI's ongoing public corruption investigation. The episode also explores newly surfaced allegations by an unincorporated Livermore resident involving a figure who also appears in the broader FBI story.