Former Anaheim mayor to do time for corruption on erstwhile stadium deal

Former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu will do two months in the clink for slipping confidential information to the Anaheim Angels in a public corruption case that killed a $320 million stadium deal.

A judge sentenced Sidhu, 67, to two months in a federal prison for obstructing federal investigators in a public corruption probe that ultimately killed the 151-acre stadium sale to the owner of the MLB baseball team, the Orange County Register reported.

The ex-mayor was also given a $50,000 fine and one year of probation. He must turn himself in on Sept. 2. According to a guilty plea agreement in 2023, Sidhu had faced more than 50 years in federal prison for his crimes.

“I do believe the defendant did betray the city of Anaheim while serving as mayor,” U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb said in a courtroom at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Santa Ana. “There are consequences to those actions. That breach of trust warrants a term of incarceration.”

Prosecutors had accused Sidhu of lying to FBI agents about not expecting to receive anything from the stadium deal, despite secret recordings of him saying he hoped to secure a $1 million campaign contribution.

They also accused him of destroying an email in which he provided confidential information about city negotiations to a team consultant.

Sidhu pleaded guilty to four felonies: obstruction of justice, wire fraud and two counts of making false statements to a federal agency. He also admitted trying to avoid paying California sales tax for a used helicopter he purchased for $205,000 using an Arizona mailing address.

The court admission had come more than 15 months after the Anaheim City Council voted to nix the $320 million deal to sell Angel Stadium because of the corruption scandal involving the former mayor that included misconduct and pay-to-play schemes.

Arte Moreno, owner of the Anaheim Angels, and his firm, SRB Management, had negotiated with the city to buy the stadium to redevelop its parking lot into offices, hotels, shops, restaurants and more than 5,000 homes. Critics accused the city of agreeing to sell the stadium for less than it was worth.

“We appreciate the court’s thoughtful hearing and the government’s detailed investigation,” Paul Meyer, one of Sidhu’s attorneys, said in a statement after his client’s sentencing. “Harry has expressed his apology for his actions.”

Holcomb found that Sidhu had breached the public trust. He then handed down a lower sentence than the eight months requested by prosecutors, citing Sidhu’s age, his decision to step down from political office quickly and his subsequent cooperation with federal investigators.

“It is significant for anybody to be incarcerated for any length of time, and this is what is warranted,” Holcomb said.

— Dana Bartholomew