Harry S. Sidhu (born July 8, 1957) is an American

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician and businessman who served as the 46th mayor of

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

, winning the office in the 2018 election. He was the first

person of color The term "person of color" ( : people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is primarily used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is primarily associated with, the U ...

and the first

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

to serve as mayor of Anaheim. He is a former member of the Anaheim City Council and the former

Mayor pro tempore ''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a ''locum tenens'' (placeholder) in the absence of ...

of Anaheim. In May 2022, a court filing revealed that he is under investigation by the FBI for possible corruption involving the sale of

Angel Stadium Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a baseball stadium located in Anaheim, California. Since its opening in 1966, it has served as the home ballpark of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB), and was also the home stadium to the Los Ange ...

, and the

Anaheim City Council The Anaheim City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of Anaheim, California. __NOTOC__ Structure The city council is made up of the mayor, who is elected at-large, and six city council members who are elected by-distric ...

unanimously requested that he resign his position as mayor. On May 23, 2022, Sidhu resigned as mayor, effective the following day.

Education and early career

Sidhu earned a degree in

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

from

Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...

. He became a U.S. citizen in 1979 and worked as a

consulting engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

. Sidhu served as director of the

Orange County Water District The Orange County Water District is a special district that manages the groundwater basin beneath central and northern Orange County, California. The groundwater basin provides a water supply to 19 municipal water agencies and special districts t ...

Board. He also serves on the board of Friends of United States, an organization that promotes

India–United States relations Relations between India and the United States date back to India's independence movement and have continued well after independence from the United Kingdom in 1947. Currently, India and the United States enjoy close relations and have often ...

Mayoral career

Per an affidavit by FBI Special Agent Brian Adkins, Sidhu is under investigation for having violated numerous federal statutes. These potential violations include:

honest services fraud Honest services fraud is a crime defined in (the federal mail and wire fraud statute), added by the United States Congress in 1988, which states "For the purposes of this chapter, the term ''scheme or artifice to defraud'' includes a scheme or ...

, theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds,

wire fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical or electronic mail system to fraud, defraud another, and are Federal crime in the United States, federal crimes there. Jurisdiction is claimed by the ...

mail fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical or electronic mail system to defraud another, and are federal crimes there. Jurisdiction is claimed by the federal government if the illegal activit ...

false statement A false statement is a statement that is not true. Although the word ''fallacy'' is sometimes used as a synonym for ''false statement'', that is not how the word is used in philosophy, mathematics, logic and most formal contexts. A false statement ...

obstruction of justice Obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, is an act that involves unduly influencing, impeding, or otherwise interfering with the justice system, especially the legal and procedural tasks of prosecutors, investigators, or other gov ...

, and

witness tampering Witness tampering is the act of attempting to improperly influence, alter or prevent the testimony of witnesses within criminal or civil proceedings. Witness tampering and reprisals against witnesses in organized crime cases have been a difficul ...

. The release of this information prompted the State of California Attorney General

Rob Bonta Robert Andres Bonta (born September 22, 1972) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Attorney General of California, attorney general of California since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he pr ...

to suspend a pending settlement with the City of Anaheim regarding the Angel Stadium sale. On May 16, 2022, a court filing by the California Superior Court, County of Orange, stated that Sidhu is under investigation by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

and an Orange County

Grand Jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...

for potential criminal conduct related to the sale of the

property, and for his actions related to the registering of a personal aircraft at a false out-of-state address. The sale of Angel Stadium and its land for $320 million to the

Anaheim Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

is alleged to have violated state law, specifically the Surplus Land Act, which requires public agencies to prioritize affordable housing, parks, and open space when they sell public property. Furthermore, it is alleged that he provided confidential information to the Angels, and hoped to solicit $1 million in campaign contributions from the team.

Electoral history

City Council

Mayor

References

External links

Official mayoral website

Campaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sidhu, Harry 1957 births 21st-century American politicians American politicians of Indian descent American mayors of Indian descent California politicians of Indian descent American people of Indian descent American businesspeople American engineers American Sikhs California city council members California Republicans Drexel University alumni Living people Mayors of Anaheim, California Indian emigrants to the United States Asian conservatism in the United States