CONCORD >> The FBI raided the home of the influential and often-victorious political consultant Mary Jo Rossi, drawing immediate speculation as to which — if any — of her many friends in politics might also be involved in the criminal probe.

The raid by federal agents took place Thursday at Rossi’s home on Thornwood Drive, in a quiet suburban neighborhood of Concord.

An FBI spokeswoman would confirm only that the agency served a search warrant there, not what they seized or why, stating that it was part of an “ongoing investigation.” No other related raids were conducted Thursday, FBI spokeswoman Cameron Polan said. “I can’t say anything else at this time,” Polan said.

Rossi could not be reached for comment.

Rossi is prolific in Contra Costa politics and has a reputation of making winners out of candidates, even if it means drawing controversy for using aggressive tactics in the process.

Her work on campaigns is unapologetically fierce, often involving attack mailers and cutting press statements, though the well-connected political insider is also known for her frequent lunches and long-standing friendships with local elected leaders.

Over the years, she developed a penchant for representing controversial figures, such as former District Attorney Mark Peterson, ex-Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Joe Canciamilla and the Seeno family of land developers, which has fought numerous environmental lawsuits.

She has served in high-ranking consulting roles for several elected officials, including Supervisor Candace Andersen, former Supervisor Federal Glover and Sheriff David Livingston, and worked for former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown when he was a state assemblymember.

More recently, she ran a campaign on behalf of the Contra Costa Deputy Sheriffs’ Association to help elect Mike Barbanica to the county board of supervisors, where the association spent about $1 million to support Barbanica and oppose Shanelle Scales-Preston, who ultimately won the November 2024 election.

She has also consulted for a major garbage-handling company, Mount Diablo Resource Recovery, which is operated by the influential Garaventa family of Contra Costa.

In January, Rossi appeared to have distanced herself from the Garaventas’ business, alleging in emails to reporters and state Assemblymember Ana Marie Avila Farias, D-Concord, that misconduct by the company’s officials had gone ignored.

“She has not worked for the company since 2018,” Kish Rajan, the CEO of Mount Diablo Resource Recovery, said in an interview. “The company has not been contacted by anyone with regard to Mary Jo Rossi and whatever activities may have led to this development today.”

Still, a handful of current and former elected officials in the region hadn’t heard anything about the FBI raid when reached Friday for comment.

The raids come at a time when the FBI appears to be combing through neighboring Alameda County politics for potential corruption involving waste management. A series of federal raids last year resulted in a bribery and money-laundering case against Oakland’s former mayor, Sheng Thao; her longtime partner Andre Jones; and the father-and-son duo who own California Waste Solutions, David and Andy Duong.

The Oakland case appears to be sprawling, with an FBI raid and subpoenas in San Leandro suggesting the agency is probing the Duong family’s connections with city government there. Agents raided the home of a San Leandro city councilman in January.

The feds’ interest in the garbage business has some parallels with Rossi’s previous ties to Mount Diablo Resource Recovery, but Rajan, its CEO, said in an interview that he “cannot possibly see any connection between what has happened at her house and our company.”