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Jordan Brandman, Former Anaheim Council Member, Found Dead Friday Night
Jordan Brandman, a former Anaheim city council member, has died at the age of 43.
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Courtesy City of Anaheim
)
Jordan Brandman, the 43-year-old former Anaheim City Council member, was found dead at his home Friday night.
His body was discovered during a welfare check and has been taken to the Coroner Division of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for an autopsy. There were no signs of foul play. No other details have been released.
“It is with sorrow and sadness that we learned of the passing of former Council Member Brandman,” Mayor Ashleigh Aitken said in a press statement released by the City of Anaheim. “Any loss of life in our city is a tragedy, and my heart goes out to all who knew Jordan and who are now coping with the news of his passing.”
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Elected to City Council as a business friendly Democrat in 2012, Brandman came out as gay in 2015, making him the first openly gay council member in Anaheim. After spearheading the tradition of raising a gay pride flag on Harvey Milk Day, he lost a reelection bid in 2016. He won the city’s District 2 seat in 2018 but stepped down in 2021 after a series of violent and misogynistic text messages directed at another former council member at the time came to light.
His death comes just a few months after the Los Angeles Times reported on his entanglements with lobbyists and corporate power brokers who swayed his votes on pro-Disney developments and tax-breaks, and who were subjects of an FBI criminal complaint of “ringleaders of a covert group that appeared to exert significant influence over the City of Anaheim.”
Another Times report published at the same time revealed how the city kept under wraps an investigation into other misogynistic, racist and violent text messages Brandman sent, including one about shooting up City Hall, that he later denied. Those reports also reference his mental health struggles.
His cause of death is pending and under investigation.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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