It seems that liberal states are always more likely to encounter corruption. It’s as if the Democrats simply can’t say no to a little cash in their hands to look the other way on issues or to make a decision that would have a positive impact on their bank accounts.
The corruption runs deep throughout California – and it’s on show for everyone to see in Anaheim.
The Major League baseball team, the Angels, has a stadium in Anaheim. There’s been a long-term attempt for the city to sell the stadium.
Now, it’s believed that the mayor was looking to sell the stadium and make a bit of a profit at the same time. Essentially, he’s being accused of accepting campaign donations as part of the stadium negotiations.
Most honest people don’t plead guilty. They don’t act guilty. And they most certainly don’t resign from their positions.
Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu maintains that he is not guilty of the federal corruption investigation that is taking place – and his attorney, Paul S. Meyer, has said that there will be a “fair and thorough investigation” that will exonerate him.
However, the mayor has chosen to resign from his position – and some of this is as a result of elected officials urging him to do so.
Why resign if you’re innocent? Well, perhaps there’s a bit more to the story that Sidhu doesn’t want to share with the masses.
Meyer issued a statement saying, “In order to continue to act in the best interests of Anaheim and allow this great City to move forward without distraction, Harry Sidhu has resigned from his post as Mayor effective May 24, 2022.”
The City of Anaheim has been working to sell the ballpark and the land – and the negotiations have been going on for years. An affidavit from the FBI explains that Sidhu used an intermediary “to pass confidential information about those talks to an Angels representative and then sought to conceal his actions” as reported by POLITICO.
There’s something even bigger than simply passing on confidential information, though. The affidavit also alleges that Sidhu discussed that he intended to ask an Angels rep for half a million dollars or more in donations for his campaign in exchange for helping to advance the stadium deal.
How Sidhu would have disguised a donation of half a million to his campaign funds is unknown. No one said that California politicians were particularly bright.
Sidhu’s attorney denies that there was ever any request for political campaign contributions. Instead, he says that the mayor was always interested in keeping the Angels in Anaheim so that the “vibrant social and economic relationship will continue.”
It seems that Sidhu isn’t the only politician involved in this whole scheme, either. Melehat Rafei, a California Democratic Party official, has also resigned from her position. She, apparently, was one of the unnamed confidential informants in the affidavit provided by the FBI.
The stadium transaction has been halted pending the investigation, which means that the ballpark will continue to remain with the city as opposed to being sold to the Angels owner.
Trevor O’Neil will be stepping in as the Anaheim Mayor Pro Tem until new elections can take place. Let’s hope that he’s not as corrupt as some of the other politicians. We all know that the state needs as much guidance as possible.
