Harish "Harry" Singh Sidhu (born July 8, 1957) is an American Republican politician and businessman who served as the 46th mayor of Anaheim, California, winning the office in the 2018 election. He was the first person of color and the first Sikh to serve as mayor of Anaheim.[2] He is a former member of the Anaheim City Council and the former Mayor pro tempore of Anaheim.
Harry Sidhu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 46th Mayor of Anaheim | |
| In office December 4, 2018 – May 24, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Tait |
| Succeeded by | Ashleigh Aitken |
| Mayor Pro Tem of Anaheim | |
| In office January 12, 2010 – December 11, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Hernandez |
| Succeeded by | Gail E. Eastman |
| Member of the Anaheim City Council for the At Large district | |
| In office December 7, 2004 – December 11, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Tait |
| Succeeded by | Lucille Kring |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Harish Singh Sidhu[1] July 8, 1957 India |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Gin Sidhu |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Drexel University (BS) |
| Website | Official website Campaign website |
In May 2022, a court filing stated that he was under FBI investigation for possible corruption involving the sale of Angel Stadium, and the Anaheim City Council unanimously requested that he resign his position as mayor.[3] On May 23, 2022, Sidhu resigned as mayor, effective the following day.[4] According to court filings on August 16, 2023, Sidhu agreed to plead guilty to one count of obstruction of justice, one count of wire fraud, one count of making false statements to the FBI, and one count of making false statements to the FAA.[1][5]
Education and early career
editSidhu earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University.[6] He became a U.S. citizen in 1979[6] and worked as a consulting engineer.
Sidhu served as director of the Orange County Water District Board.[7][8] He also serves on the board of Friends of United States, an organization that promotes India–United States relations.[9]
Mayoral career
editThis section is missing information about his actual mayoral career, not just investigations. (May 2022) |
Resignation
editOn May 16, 2022, a filing at the Orange County Superior Court stated that Sidhu was under investigation by the FBI for potential criminal conduct related to the sale of the Angel Stadium property and for his actions related to the registering of a personal aircraft at a false out-of-state address.[10]
The sale of the stadium and its parking lot for $320 million to the Los Angeles Angels is alleged to have violated the Surplus Land Act, which requires public agencies to prioritize affordable housing, parks, and open space when they sell public property.[11] The release of that information prompted California Attorney General Rob Bonta to suspend a pending settlement with the City of Anaheim regarding the stadium sale and the Surplus Land Act.[12] It was alleged that Sidhu provided confidential information to the Angels and hoped to solicit $1 million in campaign contributions from the team.[11]
According to court filings on August 16, 2023, Sidhu agreed to plead guilty to one count of obstruction of justice (for "deleting multiple email messages and documents"), one count of wire fraud, one count of making false statements to the FBI, and one count of making false statements to the FAA.[5][1]
Electoral history
editCity Council
edit| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lorri Galloway | 24,856 | 18.8 | |
| Harry Sidhu | 24,242 | 18.4 | |
| Jerry O'Connnell | 19,044 | 14.4 | |
| Lucile Kring | 15,819 | 12.0 | |
| Sefanie O'Neill | 10,451 | 7.9 | |
| Richard "Dick" Larochelle | 10,421 | 7.9 | |
| Andrea James | 8,152 | 6.2 | |
| George Charles Johnson | 7,243 | 5.5 | |
| Robert J. Flores | 5,068 | 3.8 | |
| John R. Karczynski | 2,206 | 1.7 | |
| Rubin Jamison Skipper | 1,807 | 1.4 | |
| Craig Merrihue | 1,496 | 1.1 | |
| Faiz Zuberi | 1,137 | 0.9 | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Sidhu (incumbent) | 32,652 | 23.2 | |
| Lorri Galloway (incumbent) | 31,694 | 22.6 | |
| Gail Eastman | 27,200 | 19.4 | |
| John Karczynski | 11,668 | 8.3 | |
| Kostas "Gus" Roditis | 10,160 | 7.2 | |
| Jennifer Rivera | 8,208 | 5.8 | |
| Robert J. Flores | 7,148 | 5.1 | |
| Steve Perez | 5,495 | 3.9 | |
| Brian Chuchua | 4,957 | 3.5 | |
| Faiz Zuberi | 1,336 | 1.0 | |
State Assembly
edit| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Sean Jay Panahi | 32,610 | 33.0 | |
| Republican | Steven Choi | 19,559 | 19.8 | |
| Republican | Harry Sidhu | 19,405 | 19.7 | |
| Republican | Deborah Pauly | 13,880 | 14.1 | |
| Republican | Alexia Deligianni-Brydges | 5,098 | 5.2 | |
| No party preference | Brian Chuchua | 4,635 | 4.7 | |
| Republican | Kostas Roditis | 3,528 | 3.6 | |
| Total votes | 98,715 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Steven Choi | 114,210 | 60.3 | |
| Democratic | Sean Jay Panahi | 75,231 | 39.7 | |
| Total votes | 189,441 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Mayor
edit| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Sidhu | 26,422 | 32.5% | |
| Ashleigh Aitken | 25,944 | 31.9% | |
| Lorri Galloway | 12,367 | 15.2% | |
| Cynthia Ward | 7,121 | 8.7% | |
| H. Fuji Shioura | 3,024 | 3.7% | |
| Robert Williams | 2,824 | 3.5% | |
| Rudy Gaona | 2,506 | 3.1% | |
| Tony D. Martin | 1,199 | 1.5% | |
| Total votes | 81,407 | 100% | |
References
edit- ^ a b c Romine, Taylor (August 17, 2023). "Former Anaheim mayor agrees to plead guilty to federal charges related to attempted sale of Angel Stadium". CNN. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ "Harry Sidhu is ahead in Anaheim mayor's race, and resort worker wage measure has the lead". The New Indian Express. November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ Robinson, Alicia (May 19, 2022). "Anaheim council members ask mayor to step down". Orange County Register. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ "Anaheim mayor resigns amid corruption probe into his role in Angel Stadium land sale". Los Angeles Times. May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
- ^ a b Chow, Vivian (August 16, 2023). "Ex-Anaheim mayor to plead guilty in federal corruption case over Angel Stadium sale". KTLA.
- ^ a b "Full Biography for Harry Sidhu". SmartVoter. November 2, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ Cunningham, Matthew (July 6, 2017). "Anaheim: Harry Sidhu Opens Mayoral Campaign Committee". OC Daily. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ Robinson, Alicia (November 8, 2018). "Harry Sidhu is ahead in Anaheim mayor's race, and resort worker wage measure has the lead". Orange County Register. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
- ^ "Friend of United States".
- ^ "Feds Investigation Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu Over Angel Stadium Sale". The Orange County Register. May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ a b "Secret retreats and a powerful 'cabal': Corruption probe reveals who really runs Anaheim". Los Angeles Times. May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ^ "State attorney general asks for hold on Angel Stadium land sale amid corruption probe". Los Angeles Times. May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ^ a b "Election Results Archives". Orange County Registrar of Voters. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
- ^ "Orange County 2018 General Election November 6, 2018 Official Results for Election". Orange County. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
Further reading
edit- "Harry Sidhu Admits to Obstructing FBI Probe into Failed Stadium Sale, Lying to FBI Agents, and Expecting $1 Million for Leaking Confidential Information". United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. August 16, 2023.