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The Troubled Angel Stadium Deal — Here’s What We Know So Far
Angel Stadium is part of a proposed sale of property from the city of Anaheim to team owner Arte Moreno.
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Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu resigned Monday amid an FBI probe and allegations that he shared privileged information with the Los Angeles Angels during ongoing negotiations to sell the stadium and adjoining property to the baseball team.
By the end of the week the $325 million deal was dead.
The Background
The investigation came to light through an FBI affidavit filed May 16 in Orange County Superior Court. Sidhu has not been charged with a crime.
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A week before he resigned, the Anaheim City Council had called for him to step down. Sidhu, a Republican elected as Mayor of Anaheim in 2018, was up for re-election this year in the November general election.
Here’s what we know so far
- According to an FBI affidavit, recorded conversations show that Sidhu intended to solicit campaign contributions in exchange for a favorable deal for the Angels. The affidavit also claims Sidhu attempted to “obstruct an Orange County Grand Jury inquiry into the Angel Stadium deal.”
- Sidhu has not been charged with a crime. In an emailed statement, his lawyer, Paul S. Meyer said the former mayor "did not leak secret information in hopes of a political campaign contribution" and that "no closed session material, no secret information, was disclosed by the mayor."
- On May 17 an Orange County Superior Court Judge put the proposed $325 million sale of the stadium property on hold due to the corruption investigation.
- The Angels and owner Arte Moreno gave the city of Anaheim a June 14 deadline to close the deal. Then, on May 27, said they would void the deal following a unanimous vote earlier in the week by the city council to stop the sale.
- The sale of the stadium property has previously come under scrutiny, with the state housing agency advising the Anaheim City Council not to approve the deal, claiming it did not initially meet affordable housing requirements. Stemming from the oversight of the housing agency, the city agreed to provide some $96 million for affordable housing.
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