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Anaheim To Swear In New Mayor, Councilmembers
Anaheim Mayor-elect Ashleigh Aitken campaigned on a promise of cleaning up city hall.
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Derek Humphrey
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Courtesy of Ashleigh Aitken for Anaheim Mayor
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Topline:
Anaheim will swear in a new mayor and three new council members on Tuesday evening. The changes come after revelations earlier this year that the FBI is investigating some of the city's major figures for corruption and influence-peddling.
The backstory: Anaheim has been without a mayor for more than six months. Former Mayor Harry Sidhu resigned in May after it became public that the FBI is investigating him for alleged corruption in connection with the now-canceled sale of Angel Stadium.
Mayor-elect Ashleigh Aitken beat out three challengers, including outgoing Council member Trevor O'Neil, to win her race with nearly 43% of all votes. Aitken is a former federal prosecutor who has promised to clean up city hall. She’s also the first woman elected to lead the city.
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What's next for the Anaheim council? The new council will have to either appoint someone to the seat left vacant by Avelino Valencia, who was just elected to the State Assembly — or hold a special election in the coming months.
Besides that, Aitken and the rest of the council will face longstanding questions about the city's at-times deferential relationship with the powerful Anaheim tourism lobby.
Meanwhile, an independent, city-ordered investigation into the extent of political influence at city hall is ongoing. The results of that investigation are expected to be made public next spring.
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