Mayor Anthony Silva had two laptops and his phone taken from him after visiting China for a conference in late September.
He asserts that no one provided him with a justification for the search and seizure, pushing the boundaries on his fourth amendment rights. Silva also claims that no wrongdoing will be found on the devices.
Department of Homeland Security agents pressed him to provide passwords for the devices. No government agency has yet confirmed whether Silva’s items were seized, if he's under investigation, or if agents had a warrant.
Silva did stress that the devices did have sensitive and confidential documents on them, like those relating to Stockton’s bankruptcy, which could potentially be compromised.
The mayor added that he was told he would have the items returned to him within 48 hours, it has now been over two weeks.
More on the Stockton Mayor’s seized items can be found here.