Former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu has agreed to plead guilty to four federal charges as part of a federal investigation into alleged public corruption in Anaheim, according to the Orange County Register.
- Sidhu will plead guilty to four charges:
- Obstruction of justice
- Wire fraud
- False statement to the FAA
- False statement to the FBI
- According to the agreement, the total maximum sentence Sidhu faces is up to 50 years imprisonment.
- He could also face a fine of at least $1 million.
- His actual sentencing will be up to a judge at a later date and could be significantly less harsh.
- Sidhu resigned in May 2022 after it was learned he was being investigated by the FBI over the city’s negotiations to sell Angel Stadium to team owner Arte Moreno’s business partnership.
- Sidhu reportedly sought to become a member of the city’s negotiating team and then provided “confidential inside information belonging to the city” to former Anaheim Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Ament and to a consultant working for the Angels, “so that the Angels could buy Angel Stadium on terms beneficial to the Angels,” according to the plea deal.
- Sidhu was also recorded several months later saying he expected to ask for a $1 million campaign contribution toward his reelection from the Angels if they succeeded in buying the stadium, again according to the plea agreement.
- An affidavit from the FBI alleges Sidhu “engaged in a variety of potentially criminal conduct, including sharing confidential information and later concealing information for a grand jury and possibly destroying evidence.”
What they’re saying:
- Statement from Sidhu’s attorney Paul S. Meyer: “Former Mayor Sidhu appreciates the thorough and fair investigation by the United States Attorneys Office leading to a resolution in this matter.”