Yesterday, Monday, May 16, 2022, was, to honest Anaheim residents, like Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Whitsuntide all rolled into one. We are still pinching ourselves to ensure we’re not dreaming: the FBI has got Mayor Harry Sidhu by the short hairs! It’s hard to see how he comes out of this; in fact, he doesn’t.
Haven’t we been screaming, for years now, at the top of our lungs and tirelessly, like a voice crying out in the wilderness, of the corruption of this Mayor and “HIS” Council Majority? And don’t your average complacent Joes and your complicit shills both look at us like we’re crazy, like we’re GADFLIES? Well, now color us VINDICATED. AGAIN!
I don’t believe our friends at the Register and the Voice quite get across the flavor and gist of the 55-page FBI affidavit, which reads like an Abbot & Costello cameo on Law & Order. Yes, the Stadium Heist is on hold once again, but the big news here for Anaheimers is the undeniable, stunning evidence of our Mayor’s shameless criminality.
I shall try my hand at summarizing the FBI document, although of course you could put the time into reading it yourself. But then again, you don’t have the time. Just read my “vignettes.”
Who are “Political Consultant 1” and “Co-operating Witnesses 1 & 2”?
In standard form, this document only mentions the Chief Miscreant, Mayor Harry Sidhu, by name; other characters are given dull anonymous handles like those above. But close city observers can make variously good guesses as to those characters’ real identities, going by the trails of bread crumbs the FBI leaves us.
“Political Consultant 1” is lobbyist Jeff Flint (right) of FSB Core Strategic, as the FBI writes in a footnote that “Political consultant 1 is a principal partner of a nationally known political and public affairs company,” and it’s mentioned elsewhere that he is the lobbyist for Arte Moreno’s SRB. Flint is also the wonderful guy who brought us Prop 8 in 2008 making it illegal for gays to marry, the guy who killed Sunkist Plaza, and the guy who likes to kick me and Daniel Robbins out of events. Good. He deserves bad things. He’s also connected at the hip, for decades, to Curt Pringle.
The affidavit also features two “co-operating witnesses,” already in legal jeopardy and coerced by the Feds to help with their Stadium-related investigation. They tell us CW1 had been under investigation since 2018 for “violations of federal criminal law to include 18 U.S.C. § 666 (theft or bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.” He or she was arrested in October 2019 and immediately agreed to cooperate. Well, I’ve been told by a very authoritative source that this witness is California Democratic Party Secretary (and cannabis consultant) Melahat Raifei (left.) Way to keep the sleaze bipartisan!
We know exactly who Co-operating Witness 2 is because the FBI forgot to redact his name when Harry addresses him as “Todd” – it is Todd Ament, who ran the Chamber for many years. We suddenly stopped seeing Todd a couple years ago, and there was the rumor he’d left town and it had something to do with the FBI – well that rumor was vague but true! It’s fun to see all the trouble Todd was in, in a footnote at the bottom of page 14:
“The FBI has been investigating [Todd Ament] for violations of federal criminal law to include 18 U.S.C. § 1014 (false statement to a federally insured financial institution), 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1346 (honest services fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956, 1957 (money laundering), 18 U.S.C. § 1344 (bank fraud), and fraudulently obtaining a loan under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). Additionally, the IRS has been investigating CW2 for tax-related violations…” [I’m leaving out a lot. They also mention how they don’t trust anything he says so they make sure to corroborate it all.]
[UPDATE: This story is moving so fast – on Tuesday Bonta put out a press release on the charges against Ament, the FBI released a 99-page complaint against him, and he had a Court hearing where he was released on a measly $30K bail.]
We know Harry (and how he still struggles with the English language after 40-something years) and we know Todd, and most of these recorded vignettes feature Harry and Todd, so they are nice and easy to picture in our heads as we read them. Now enjoy and learn:
Vignette 1: Harry plans to demand a bribe from the Angels!
[Page 37] Deep FBI voice: On October 29, 2021, CW2 (Ament) had an in-person meeting with SIDHU, which was surreptitiously recorded at the direction of the FBI. During the recorded conversation, the two discussed several matters, including SIDHU’s plan to solicit campaign contributions from a representative of the Angels organization (“Angels Representative 1” or AR1.) During that portion of their discussion, SIDHU made the following statement:
HS: Yeah. And here’s the thing, if the Angels deal goes through, by the end of the year, then I’m gonna ask ah, [AR1]. Right? I’ll just call them up and say, “Hey, we need, we need at least half a million dollars of support for you to come with the IEs.”
FBI: Then, on December 6, 2021, CW2 once again met with SIDHU in person and conducted a surreptitiously recorded conversation, where SIDHU made the following statement of his intent to solicit campaign funds from AR1:
HS: Because I, I’ve said, you gotta at least, minimum of a million dollars to come up with my election. They have to. And of course, you know, if Disney, I mean, if Angels [LOL, nice Freudian] would conclude next year is approved hopefully, we’ll push for them at least have a million dollars. You know, for AR1 to say “no” is bad, for them not to say no on that.
FBI: “Then on or about January 24, 2022, Ament and SIDHU had a phone conversation. This call was not recorded due to a technical malfunction. Ament advised that during the phone call, SIDHU told him that he intended to revise his request to AR1 for campaign contributions from $500,000 to $1,000,000. SIDHU told Ament, several times during the phone call, that he needed the stadium deal to go through before he could ask AR1 for money.
“Ament opined that SIDHU’s motivation in pushing the stadium sale was solely for the benefit of his reelection campaign. Ament advised that if SIDHU was successful in securing a $1,000,000 commitment from AR1, such a commitment would likely be in the form of Political Action Committee (“PAC”) independent expenditures, examples of which would be mailers and television ads supporting SIDHU and/or attacking his opponents, paid for by AR1.
“At our direction, Ament attempted to follow up on the January 24 phone call. As a result, Ament and SIDHU had a telephone conversation on January 28, 2022, which was successfully recorded. During that recorded telephone call, in addition to SIDHU once again appearing to coach Ament to mislead the OC Grand Jury, [Vern – I’ll get to that later] the following conversation occurred…”
- Ament: Um, you had mentioned you wanted to try to get AR1 a higher level. Up to the million dollar level. Do you think AR1 go there? Do you have a reason to think AR1 go higher? AR1’s never gone there before.
- HS: Gone? Gone where?
- Ament: To, to a million, for re-election. To help with the PACs.
- HS: At least, you know, you should shoot for 3 million total?
- Ament: Okay.
- HS: You should. Because I am hoping to get at least a million from I’m going to be pushing it. AR1 actually asked me. AR1 said, “What can I do for your election?” I said, “Let me finish your deal first, and then we’ll talk about that.”
- Ament: Ok.
- HS: So I’m going to be asking for a million dollars from AR1.
Deep FBI voice: We believe SIDHU illustrated his intent to solicit campaign contributions, in the amount of $1,000,000, from Angels Representative 1, in exchange for performing official acts intended to finalize the stadium sale for the Angels, despite the State of California’s threat to levy a multi-million dollar fine should Anaheim move forward with the deal in its current state.
Are we having fun yet? Are you ready for Vignette #2?
Vignette 2: Harry Obstructs a Grand Jury Investigation,
tampers with a Witness (Ament)
and Destroys Evidence!
*I* didn’t know there was a Grand Jury investigation going on into the Stadium Heist. Did you? No, you didn’t either, those things are confidential. But now we know there was an investigation (partly into his illegally sharing privileged information secretly with the Angels team which is discussed elsewhere in the complaint.) And our favorite Hairball busily plotted with his friends on how to obstruct it. Mira no mas…
[Page 32 on] Deep FBI voice: Ament’s access to SIDHU had waned in the months prior to receiving the OC Grand Jury letter, in part due to investigative actions the FBI took in furtherance of this investigation. [V: Yeah, we all noticed he’d gone AWOL around then.] Upon receiving the OC Grand Jury letter, Ament, at the direction of the FBI, reestablished contact with SIDHU. As a result, Ament and SIDHU met on January 12, 2022 to discuss the OC Grand Jury, among other matters. The FBI provided Ament with a recording device and the meeting was subsequently recorded by Ament. During the meeting, the following conversation between SIDHU and Ament occurred….
- HS: So, who else got called on, is [Jeff Flint] also got called on the, ah, on [the OC Grand Jury]?
- Ament: That’s why I’m trying to meet with Jeff tomorrow, because, so, I got, I’m sure the same letter?
- HS: Yeah.
- Ament: Yeah, so umm, I haven’t talked to Jeff since the holidays. So we texted last week and said, “Hey we gotta catch up.” And umm, so it actually went to the Chamber and so [Chamber Employee 1, CE1] and I got it. And I said, “Hey tell Jeff I gotta touch base with him on this.” So we’re touching base tomorrow at 2. Ah, [Angels Employee 1, AE1] from the Angels, the old attorney, he’s —
- HS: [AE1] from the Angels?
- Ament: Yeah, he wants to meet. Ah, just to catch up, but I said, you know, “Did you get a letter?” I don’t know. I asked him something like that, and he said “Yeah.”
- HS: So this is the [AE1] that used to be the previous attorney?
- Ament: Yeah. Right.
- HS: Because they also got it.
- Ament: Mine is, I don’t know, obviously somebody, if it’s you, me, Jeff, and Angels, somebody saying ok, what information did they share? And so like I’m worried. I don’t wanna lie.
- HS: Right.
- Ament: Because I’m afraid if I lie, and they have something, and then all of a sudden we’re in their crosshairs.
- HS: Right.
- Ament: For lying to a grand jury. So like you know, appraisal information, any of that. Is any of that in your text or emails? Of you gave us kind of the ranges of the appraisal.
- HS: I have not given any of the emails that was going on between you, me, and Jeff.
- Ament: Ok.
- HS: Nothing at all.
- Ament: Ok.
- HS: So it’s not there.
- Ament: Ok.
- HS: So that, because remember, nothing came from the city hall going to you right off.
- Ament: Ok. Right, right.
- HS: It was my private emails on even my text and all that with you, I erased everything.
- Ament: Ok.
- HS: So, if you, if they ever say that you meet with the mayor, just say, “Yeah, occasionally we talked because I wanted to know the economic development.”
- Ament: Yeah.
- HS: “This is part of the project that the Chamber was working on.”
Deep FBI voice: “I believe Ament was expressing his concern to SIDHU about being questioned before the OC Grand Jury, specifically about Ament’s knowledge and/or involvement in receiving information from SIDHU and subsequently passing said information onto the Angels during negotiations. Rather than simply advising that Ament tell the truth to the OC Grand Jury, SIDHU instead reassured Ament that, “I have not given any of the emails that was going on between you, me, and Flint.” SIDHU further explained that “nothing came from the city hall going to you… [i]t was my private emails on even my text and all that with you, I erased everything.”
“First, I believe SIDHU’s reference to “any of the emails” between him, Ament and Flint to be a reference, in part, to the Key Issues document email discussed above — an email that SIDHU provided to Ament and Flint during stadium sale negotiations.
“Second, I believe SIDHU’s clarification that he used his private email (believed to be a reference to the SUBJECT ACCOUNT) and that “nothing came from the city hall” was his attempt at further reassuring Ament that the OC Grand Jury would not be able to access evidence (e.g., via a public records act request) that he was covertly passing information, through Ament and Flint, to the Angels during negotiations. Finally, in case Ament remained concerned, I believe SIDHU again attempted to reassure him when he stated, ‘I erased everything.’
“Throughout their conversation, and as was illustrated above, SIDHU appeared concerned about the OC Grand Jury uncovering the fact that SIDHU had passed information to the Angels, via Ament, during stadium sale negotiations. When asked why SIDHU would be concerned with the OC Grand Jury uncovering such facts, Ament advised that the public perception of such actions would negatively affect SIDHU and could potentially prevent the stadium deal between Anaheim and the Angels from being finalized. [V: Damn right!] SIDHU’s concern appeared to be significant, to the point of instructing Ament to lie to the OC Grand Jury, as was illustrated in the same recorded conversation, during which the following exchange occurred…”
- HS: So, so when you, again your key thing is, when, when they talk to you about this basically say, “Yeah I talked with the Mayor, about, you know, during the time of, not negotiations, but after the negotiations was done.” And came back to city hall and he asked for the economic development and, we were, you know, we were there and supporting this.
- Ament: Mhmm [no doubt thinking about how all this is gonna sound to the Feds]
- HS: You know.
- Ament: The hard part, and I think what everybody’s freaked out about is people know we had meetings. And people may have been watching us. So, you know, to lie, is probably not good. I think we just, you know, the meetings occurred.
- HS: Right.
Deep FBI voice: “I believe that here SIDHU was coaching Ament on what to say to the OC Grand Jury. Specifically, SIDHU appeared to be instructing Ament to (1) tell the OC Grand Jury that CW2 had met with SIDHU about the Angels deal after the negotiations between Angels and Anaheim had ended and (2) conceal the fact that Ament and SIDHU had discussed negotiations while they were ongoing. After SIDHU gave these instructions to Ament, Ament again expressed his concern about lying to the OC Grand Jury, further stating that, in fact, the meetings that SIDHU had previously coached Ament to tell the OC Grand Jury had occurred after negotiations actually occurred during negotiations. SIDHU appeared to confirm Ament’s statement when he replied, ‘Right.’
“After SIDHU advised Ament that he (SIDHU) had concealed and/or destroyed evidence related to information possibly being sought by the OC Grand Jury, and after SIDHU instructed Ament to lie to the OC Grand Jury, SIDHU then appeared to task Ament with sharing information he was likely to glean from the OC Grand Jury so that SIDHU could prepare for his own Grand Jury testimony, as indicated in the below exchange that took place during the same recorded conversation…”
- HS: So, what you want to do is write down, after your meeting is over, I need you to write those questions down yourself.
- Ament: Ok.
- HS: Right after you come home.
- Ament: Ok.
- HS: Write it down.
- Ament: Ok.
- HS: Because then, then we’ll meet and at least you’ll let me know what happened.
Deep FBI voice: “… I believe there are several motivating factors driving SIDHU to go to such lengths (i.e., concealing and/or destroying evidence and instructing Ament to make false statements to the grand jury), including maintaining his reputation in Anaheim, and ensuring his reelection in November 2022 is unaffected by any revelation of impropriety. I also believe, based on recorded conversations conducted between Ament and SIDHU, and as illustrated below, that another motivating factor was SIDHU’s intention to solicit monetary compensation from an individual, in the form of campaign contributions, in exchange for pushing the stadium deal through on more favorable terms for the Angels.“
There’s more, much more, and you could read the whole thing, but that’s the most colorful stuff.
Except for ….
Harry Hides a Yellow Helicopter!
The blog thanks reader Allen Wilson for performing the distasteful and arduous task of sifting through Sidhu’s Facebook to find the above illustration of Harry’s now-notorious Yellow Copter. The FBI was especially irritated that, after purchasing this vehicle in California, Harry had it registered at a friend’s address in Arizona just to save himself a mere $15,000 in California sales tax! (And then went on to regularly store his yellow baby at a hangar in Chino.)
Oh, do you want to know whose address Harry registered it at in Scottsdale AZ? Why, the home of the father-in-law of Joe Manzella, a longtime kleptocrat supporter and crony of Pringle and Sidhu, who used to own the restaurant The Catch and put on lotsa fundraisers for that crowd (from which me and Daniel Robbins were thrown out.)
Sidhu’s going to such length to avoid a little taxes puts me in mind of his idol Donald Trump. Still, even though it was less than $15K he saved himself, with this one dumb action he made his criminal spree INTERSTATE, which is a big deal.
Isn’t it “EGG-cellent” that Harry was able to drop Easter eggs from his Yellow Copter, with what looks like his stoner son Rohan in the back seat, over the back lawn of Anaheim Hills’ Influence Church, which I think can be fairly labeled the “Klepto-Church” (just as Brewery Zero is the Klepto-Brewery, and The Catch WAS the Klepto-Eatery.)
Another memory that this Helicopter brings back: When Harry impersonated a veteran in the 2018 Anaheim Hills July 4 parade, standing on the back of a Humvee in a flight suit during his first Mayoral Election, his apologists all cried, “It’s just a flight suit, and he does drive a helicopter!” Well, apparently he does… but he still impersonated a veteran to get elected.
But I digress.
I needs must wrap this up now, but this is a story that JUST KEEPS GOING, and promises to be “The Gift That Keeps Giving” for many more months at least.
- Anaheim has just hired a “CRISIS MANAGER” and guess who they picked? Lobbyist and Orange Councilwoman Ariana Barrios, who served for years as Kris Murray’s Council Aide, and is obviously waist-deep in Anaheim corruption as anyone. Does that make this a good choice or a lame-ass choice? I would go with lame-ass.
- As of Wednesday the Council unanimously (except for Gloria who was probably just unreachable) wants Harry to resign. At last night’s meeting all Sidhu’s Council allies (O’Neil, Faessel, Ma’ae, Diaz) talked about how shocked and devastated they were, how they really had no idea. Jesus. And you know they’re quaking in their boots. I’ll save my commentary on this for my next story, to be entitled: “Shocked! Shocked! Shocked! The Cries of the Complicit.”
- Another thing that really got under the skin of me, Donna, Batiste, and many others, was when Avelino and others who at least were calling for Sidhu’s resignation moaned about what a DARK DAY Monday was – the “darkest day in Anaheim history.” NO IT WAS NOT! It was a flash of brightness after YEARS of darkness. Monday May 16, 2022 was a DAY OF LIGHT in Anaheim. Get it straight, people!
- Dr. Jose Moreno, as expected, attempted to wrangle lemonade Tuesday night by bringing back his long-rejected platform of Campaign Finance Reform. And he said and suggested a lot more too, mira no mas:
- Remember – ALL ANAHEIM ROADS LEAD TO DISNEY. (Or as Jose pronounces it, Disneh.) Just as surely, Melahat roads lead to all over the County, especially Irvine! (Much more Melahat in the next story)
- Will the People’s Homeless Task Force now be appealing that awful nonsensical ruling of Judge Hoffer, that the City did NOT break the Brown Act in the Angels deal? The FBI filings would be very helpful in that, they specifically mention information Harry and his cronies withheld from the court. Well, I DON’T KNOW YET, and if I did I don’t have permission to tell you yet. But here’s two reasons I really hope we do appeal: I want Kelly Aviles to get her legal fees from Anaheim, and recover her “undefeated” reputation. And bigger than that – Hoffer’s ruling left The Brown Act an empty shell, a paper tiger, and this awful ruling needs to be undone before it becomes a precedent.
- Last of all WHY DON’T WE HAVE A FUCKING DA WHO WILL GO AFTER POLITICAL CORRUPTION??? Why do we have to wait and pray that the Feds will come in. Todd Spitzer has known for years how corrupt Sidhu and his crowd are, he even mentioned it (knowing his crowd) when he spoke at Los Amigos during his first election campaign. But since then, nothing. PETE HARDIN, MIKE JACOBS, BRYAN CHEHOCK, you need to be talking about this! . . . .
- BECAUSE THIS IS THE TIP OF THE FUCKING ICEBERG.
Tonight’s Anaheim City Council Meeting Should Be,
“One For The Ages”!!
Meeting Start’s at 3pm (Workshop)
4pm (Close Session)
5pm (Regular Council Meeting)
‘It’s Free’….Be There!!!
There is no reason why the DA shouldn’t have forced a consent decree with the Anaheim Council.
Their history with the Brown Act should, at a minimum, require recording closed session meetings.
It also seems like staff in Anaheim may have been negligent with their responsibility to secure public records generated by Sidhu. The DA ought to look into that as well
In 2018 when speaking to Los Amigos, Todd, knowing his crowd, mentioned Harry Sidhu as someone he would look at (for his residency fraud a while back.) The OC is full of bipartisan residency fraud, as you know, but the only politician Todd ever went after for it was progressive Santa Ana Democrat Roman Reyna.
And the only time he ever even gave a City a WARNING about Brown Act violations was Democrat-controlled Laguna Beach.
Well, it is election season. No time like the present to ring up some bad politicos.
While you’re at it, might want to inquire as to why there haven’t been any “behested payments” filed on a 460 for Ms. Galloway.
Get’er done, Todd!
Had anyone filed a FPPC complaint on Galloway? Maybe that’s why!
We have formed in Anaheim Citizen coalition for transparency- please join us . We 1300 members and increasing.
We’ve been needing that for a decade or two, and trying in different ways to start something like that, but … tell us more.
When did this start, and how did you get 1300 members?
And how did none of us on this blog know about it?
Doesn’t quite look legit, does it. Any truth to the rumor that Harish Sidhu has fled the country?
Oh no way. No effing way.
The pathetic helicopter scam reveals Hide-and-Seek Harry’s character traits perfectly: liar, scammer, parsimonious skinflint. All to save $15,000 in sales tax. Another great move by the business genius.
I wonder if the FBI knows the background of Sidhhu Jr.’s dope business.
Pshaw! Why would that even be relevant to an investigation that seems to be focused in part on fixing Anaheim’s cannabis market?
You might want to look closer at Melahat, she is an paid employee of Patrick Strader who works for Five Point Communites. Her politcal staff member works for the Mayor and she has been very much involved in Irvine politics, Orange County Power Authority, Setting up meetings to influence City business!
Don’t worry, Christina — I’ve been taking a close look at Melahat for years. But she’s always been very slick — hard to prove what we all pretty much know is true.
I’ve tried to warn my party about her — to my great detriment — but I never expected (given that she now does seem likely to be “CW1”) that when she came crashing down she might take local, state, and even national politicians down with her.
Can you imagine running to become your State Party Secretary, privy to all of the party’s secrets, two years AFTER you’ve been arrested and turned into a Cooperating Witness and having your phone tapped? Was she sent out to entrap other state party officers? DNC members? Frankly, IF all that’s alleged is true, this is a degree of brazenness I don’t know that we’ve ever seen before.
You Republicans will be very happy if she takes down the State Party. I’d run for Chair myself — but sadly I’m barred from the state party because, partly due to my opposing Melahat, I was considered “bad for the party.” It may be time for ethics advocates to make a comeback!
Thinking over a role as CW1, it seems more and more likely that a handler would nod and approve of her seeking a position where the witness would be able to obtain a great many documents.
Indeed, if the handlers were Trump appointees, they would be most interested in busting up unions, followed by tracking party links to undocumented people (esp. employees, etc.). It could be their end goal was never about ‘corruption’ as you think of it, but ‘corruption’ as they conceive it (to his inner cloister, California’s Sanctuary laws are outright defiance – the most corrupt manifestation around…).
That might be why the Trump admin signed off on this – Sidhu might be easily sacrificed, his important benefactors easily compensated, his less important benefactors screwed…all as part of an effort to destroy the California Democratic Party.
You’re always thinking of national politics. Here, we’re usually not.
Greg, would Trump or Barr really have to have personally signed off on an FBI investigation in Anaheim?
Now I think of it, hasn’t the FBI been run by Chris Wray who Trump always hated and wanted to get rid of, but never got around to it?
Yes, Vern, I am always thinking of national politics. I’m still pretty ignorant about the local stuff, don’t even know all the players who matter, but my basic assumption is that the local stuff you, Gregg, and others focus on resonates nationally.
The OC matters far more than meets the eye. As a financial source, we contribute to hundreds (thousands?) of right wing candidates all over America through bundlers etc.
But really, we’re more important as a ‘test bed’ for political experimentation. The megachurch/business elite/political domination model was developed in SoCal – particularly in Orange County. That machinery dominates rural/exurban/suburban America in most than half of the states.
For political operations, as a blue state with a series of competent attorney generals, and as a county with a very competent registrar and one of the foremost experts in election fraud (Prof. Hasen at UCI), and a huge pool of lawyers ready to step in and bring cases to dig up stuff, if they can get away with political schemes here, they can do so anywhere.
This is why I think the local stuff matters a lot. But I’m still learning it.
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Trump probably would NOT have signed off on the Sidhu investigation – more likely, his intermediaries dropped lots and lots of hints.
Sessions or Barr might have signed off, but the details presented to the AG would have been carefully handpicked. Whitaker (the acting AG after Sessions resigned – one of the worst federal prosecutors and most blatantly political appointees imaginable) might have signed off personally, and then…disappeared to a deserted island somewhere so that every record involving him would be destroyed.
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Chris Wray might have played a role in why Georgia did not “find” another 10,000 votes for Trump. Everyone in Georgia GOP circles would have known him, either personally or by reputation, and every corporation that matters would have passed along how he handled special investigations into corporate affairs during his time at King & Spalding. Georgia might have an intensely corrupt electoral system, but the GOP operatives knew better than to engage in the precise crude frauds Trump requested.
But with litigation pending against the FBI from Orange County, and with the Supreme Court reviewing a claim involving investigations into Orange County, we’re on his radar. After the black eye that was the mosque investigation (when the FBI’s own ‘asset’ was reported by local Muslim leaders to police as a possible terrorist – OUCH! – the local Muslim leaders were more patriotic in defending America than the FBI’s own assets?!?!) – he would probably be enthusiastic for an investigation that would move that story further back on the media stream.
In fact, I just ran into this old piece I wrote six years ago, where I TRIED to warn CDP about her:
https://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2016/06/brandmans-political-guide-melahat-rafiei-is-running-for-dnc-today-i-cant-keep-quiet-any-longer/
From your 2016 post – “If Melahat distances herself from Brandman when talking to you this weekend — not something I’d put past her at all”
Nodding. I was speculating about that yesterday; hadn’t realized you’d had such thoughts 6 years ago. I still have a lot to learn. The way they drove you out struck me as odd, more like a pretext. Yes, you’ve pissed off lots of folks over the years, but political operators ought to shrug aside such personal feelings, and focus on their political goal. It had occurred to me there might have been something more going on behind the scenes (e.g., some specific allegation of corruption cut someone too closely, and then they commenced with setting up a bandwagon upon which other ‘leaders’ gleefully leaped)…
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All that said, my current hypothesis about what is happening may be bigger than Anaheim.
The GOP took over NYC mayor’s office from 1994 to 2013, despite Dems outnumbering Reps more than 2:1, in part because of a series of investigations launched for partisan/grandstanding purposes – which resulted in different Dem clubs attacking and destroying one another (at least in the mayor’s races…).
Giuliani would have pitched that tactic to Trump (the two of them probably knew something about it from NYC – but I doubt Trump and Giuiani were close friends back then), who would have passed down the instructions to his cabinet…and those who refused to play along would be fired.
We only know of one case in which Trump directly encouraged an investigation for his own political benefit (“do me a favor, Mr. President of Ukraine”). One head-of-state speaking to another would have forced him to do so personally – and he’s a clumsy idiot who said it too explicitly, rather than just implying it the way it’s done by people who know how to do it.
Fair to assume that partisan investigations were normal under Trump, but people doing so were probably not stupid, and knew to cover their asses. In such a setting, a Trump appointee overseeing an FBI agent handling a ‘cooperative witness’ in a local race would learn that the witness intended to run for office – and would smile, nod, and suggest that was a great idea.
Their end goal might not be getting Sidhu (sacrificial lamb…who cares? easily replaced…), but showing that CA Dems were dealing drugs (hence the cannabis element, still a federal crime), hiring undocumented workers (also federal law applies), colluding with unions (RICO), etc. All in an effort to do to CA Dems what was done in NYC. (And didn’t the vice president spend some time investigating OC? was she involved? etc,,,)
If that was the target, they won’t ever need a conviction. For their base, Obama is a Muslim. Announcing an investigation and letting Dems destroy themselves over it would be enough.
If that is accurate, Biden’s appointees probably figured out the scheme long before they got appointed, but spent the time reviewing and verifying their suspicions to ensure that they also cleaned up partisan corruption within their own agencies to the extent that they could. The stadium deal was their pretext to finally bring this to light. To them, Sidhu is just another investigation into possible corruption; the danger isn’t even that the CA Dems might devolve into the same internal destruction that typified NYC Dems for 20 or so years – but that the federal agencies might be corrupted and used entirely for purely partisan purposes…
To me, that could explain why the redactions and notes were written as they are, why the voluminous details were included, and why this is coming out now. None of these investigations need result in a conviction – but the damage they will do to people nobody thought were even endangered…is hard to anticipate.
Regarding whether or not “Political Consultant #1” is Jerry Amante or Jeff Flint: the link in the affidavit goes to the lobbyist filings for FSB Public Affairs — Amante just shows up at the top of the list because of alphabetical order. The two FSB lobbyists who actually represented SRB during the time period in the affidavit were Brooke Bushart and Jeff Flint — and “Political Consultant #1” is referred to as “he” elsewhere in the affidavit, so Flint is the likely choice.
Great pics of said helicopter for Easter.
“Children! Feast upon these eggs! May they hatch into your own miracle ill-gotten gains!”
Yeah, lemme go post that pic now. Big hat-tip on that to Allen Wilson, who bravely scoured Sidhu’s Facebook for it.
😉
For the politician who knows that someday he may need to make a really quick getaway….
Thanks for the heavy lifting.
“The Influence Church.” That was the one that Kris Murray — and who else? — attended, that if memory serves kept getting some sweet treatment from the city. right? I always thought that the name was a little too on-the-nose. Will the FBI investigate a church, or do they automatically receive sanctuary?
I cannot tell if you’re being snarky, ironic, or asking in good faith…the FBI used to investigate mosques, but that was linked to 9/11.
https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/how-the-fbi-spied-on-orange-county-muslims-and-attempted-to-get-away-with-it
Under George W. Bush, the IRS did an investigation into a liberal church in Pasadena (All Saints Cathedral) – https://www.npr.org/2007/09/26/14715290/irs-clears-california-church-but-dispute-isnt-over – the FBI almost certainly seconded some of their agents to assist in portions of that investigation. (Bush himself may not have been involved, but egregious efforts to politicize the FBI go back long before Trump…).
When Obama used the same mechanism to have the IRS look into a host of rightwing nonprofits affiliated with churches or other groups – the backlash against the IRS was extreme (and the Tea Party emerged as a ‘new’ phenomenon…to create new financial mechanisms that would obscure the ‘old’ scheme?). But the FBI plays its role with both the IRS and the DOJ – their folks are always talking to one another…
My guess is that the FBI would be cautious about looking too closely at a church given FBI v. Fazaga. Indeed, I would expect that local operatives built their entire scheme around such an expectation, so that the critically important details needed could be buried in a religious institution, all based on the assumption that “the FBI is never going to look HERE while that other stuff is underway…” (That said, I assume that the folks doing this corruption include at least a few who are fairly smart and monitor things closely – or at least hire henchlings who are smart…I do not know the ‘ringleaders’ and only assume that they may not be who they appear to be.)
This explains Lorri’s entry into the mayor’s race.
Ummm… not sure how. She was in the race to help Sidhu win, now he’s toast. And she hasn’t opened her mouth a peep about the Stadium deal, at least since September of 2013.
Sweet. We get rid of Hairball and the Princess in one sweep. Wasn’t that Melahat creature waist-deep in Jordan Brandman? Wait, that didn’t come out right…wait, neither did that…
Jordan was Melahat’s #1 client for years. She only dropped him when she essentially had to, once some publication published the vicious texts about Denise Barnes.
Presuming he’s not one of those already named, the FBI would be nuts not to interview him at great length, because he was in not only on this deal, but in all of the dealing that happened (and almost succeeded) from 2012 to 2018. They should be talking to him, Kris Murray, Gayle Eastman — and plenty more, such as every City Manager and City Attorney they’ve had going back to, what, 2010? So much pus to suck out of the wounds inflicted and infected over the years.
“The recent news of greed and big money impacting Anaheim politics is rightfully infuriating to the people of Anaheim. No one should ever be able to buy an election. This is why I’m running for mayor of Anaheim – I believe in a history of transparency, experience, and ongoing community leadership is what this city needs to move forward into the brighter days ahead.”
– Lorri Galloway on the news of the FBI probe
That’s sad. I just remembered how I used to help her write her press releases in 2012-13.
She still can’t put together a sentence. At 70+.
She could win if she’s the de facto Republican candidate — but I have a feeling that Disney (as well as obviously the Angels) may sway far away from Anaheim races this cycle.
Looks like his spaced-out dope peddler kid in the back of his illegally registered chopper.
I wonder if, when the Chicken Man (in two senses) turns state’s evidence, he’ll rat out his own son….
The Stadium Swindle would not have gotten as far as it did without the full knowledge and complicity of senior city staff. Outside investigation at a minimum.
Yep. The FBI (and/or State AG) have got to do this right.
A couple of things aren’t being mentioned here in the story or in the threads.
First why haven’t any of these people been charged with conspiracy?
Second, why hasn’t melahat been banned from the cannabis industry by the California cannabis control board?
How is she still holding an appointed position on the OC Fair board?
How is she still the secretary of the CDP when Shes been charged with multiple counts of 18 USC 666? which is bribery and or theft involving federally funded programs? This was back in 2019?? She is listed as CW1 is that confidential or cooperating witness?
\How the fuck is she still a member of the DNC?
Shes been wearing a wire for the past two years??!! Who else has she hooked up with the feds to be charged by wearing a wire? and the feds allow her to continue to operate in the cannabis space while being charged with bribing elected officials in Irvine and Anaheim? wtf is that all about?
There is no mention of Sidhu being arrested or indicted yet. I wonder what we will learn from that gem when it does finally drop?
One thing for sure this is not over by a long shot. This can go all the way up to Sacramento or even Wash DC with melahat wearing a wire while being a member of the DNC!
All good questions, some of which I think I can answer, some nobody can answer.
Conspiracy charges get filed after the investigation ripens. When the FBI puts someone on a wire for years, they’re looking to grab a big organization, as big as possible. How big? Well, that depends on who is wearing that wire. If they get the secretary of the largest political party in the largest state that largely finances every Democratic contender in the country? Well…hard to imagine a bigger prize.
That said, every single board must conduct its own investigations to its own satisfaction and make its own judgment without jumping on the bandwagon. They must review the evidence fairly, and they must remember that the FBI hasn’t always played fair…just ask labor unions how the FBI used to disrupt their efforts by “hunting for communists” whenever that might divide and destroy….when the FBI used similar tricks to go after civil rights organizers, they were adapting a very old tool to a new context.
So this is where positions of trust are so important.
Some people will toss out “innocent until proven guilty” as the mechanism for making these decisions at each of the boards and organizations you refer to. That’s bullshit. That standard ONLY applies in a criminal context – where proving guilt beyond all reasonable doubt is necessary before anyone can be deprived of their life or liberty. In positions of trust and responsibility, the standard is entirely different.
Anyone who cites this standard at those organizations to impede doing their own investigation is either
(1) ignorant, and unaware of what ‘innocent until proven guilty’ actually means (and thus, possibly too stupid to be entrusted with responsibility?),
(2) corrupt, and spouting a truism to impede a proper investigation because they’re afraid of blowback hitting themselves, and/or
(3) stalling/confused/unprepared, and possibly waiting for instructions as to what they ought to believe.
The organizations you refer to need to look into this, and need to do so seriously. BUT it would be wrong to jump to conclusions that all these allegations are true – and it would be wrong to jump to conclusions that all of them are meaningless until proven to be true in a courtroom some years down the line.
The Council Majority.. in their righteous ignition!
I’m shocked!!… shocked to find out there’s gambling in this establishment.!!
What did Steve and Trevor Know, and when did they Know it?
Steve Feassel,Trevor O’Neill,are definitely in the “crosshairs” of the federal government (FBI).
Jose Diez,even if he heard or saw something..??
Glora Ma’Ma’ … she has to know something because she’s a team player.
Avellino Valencia the First one on The Council to call on Mayor Sidhu to “Resign”… will be going to Sacramento, but he’s still going to have to give a deposition.
Dr.Jose F.Moreno the lone voice in the wilderness, on the short end time and time again until last night.
Dr Moreno’s term is up at the end of the year, ironically his leaving has a date on it, we don’t know about the rest of them,Yet. and hopefully Al Jabber will be Sworn in in December.
It’s “Al Jabbar,” as with Kareem.
I don’t give Avelino any credit for being the first to call for Sidhu’s resignation. It’s pretty easy to attack someone for political gain once they’ve already been politically destroyed by someone else. He has to answer for being party of Sidhu’s iron majority during his time on the Council. And he has no good answer.
Does the concept of innocent until proven guilty apply here.
Methinks that if this was a young Latino accussed of having a weapon, many here WOULD NOT be so eager to rush to judgement.
Mayor Sidhu has not been indicated. This was more about Politics and killing the stadium then any crime or corruption.
Look who swoops In and buys the stadium.
Yeah… maybe the FBI just fabricated all of that.
I guess, since Harry has not been indicated, the FBI is probably just meddling in Politics. And Killing the Stadium.
Maybe J. Edgar Hoover will be swooping in and snagging that jewel.
I was wondering what someone in denial would say about all this. Thanks for your contribution.
Alan – apologies, because I’m going to repeat myself here, and everywhere else ‘innocent until proven guilty’ shows up.
NO, ‘innocent until proven guilty’ DOES NOT APPLY TO POSITIONS OF TRUST. It only applies when deciding whether to send someone to jail (or worse).
The default legal standard that applies in every context other than a criminal charge is “more likely than not.” That’s the standard needed to shift hundreds of billions of dollars. And even that standard is too high when thinking about positions of trust, which are held to a much higher standard.
That said, you will hear many political operators invoke “innocent until proven guilty.” As I wrote earlier, they’ll do that for a variety of reasons:
(1) they are ignorant about what ‘innocent until proven guilty’ actually means – and that ought to factor into whether such a person is worthy of trust
(2) they are themselves corrupt, and want to block an investigation or paying to much attention to an investigation that might catch up with them, and/or
(3) they are shocked/stalling/unprepared, maybe waiting for someone to tell them what they should believe and falling back on a trite expression they’ve heard somewhere, so as to avoid making a decision (a simple ‘no comment’ might have been a better choice…). We all do that sometimes…
The investigations need to proceed seriously, and SOME weight needs to be given to review what the FBI has said and done. That does not mean they need to defer to the FBI and do anything beyond investigate.
I raised earlier how the FBI used to attack and destroy labor unions, and tried to use similar means against civil rights groups. Some people think those days are long gone. I tend to think any tool, once developed, may be adapted to a new context, evolve, etc. given the right ingredients. It is possible that the FBI investigated here while chasing something even bigger than the Anaheim stadium…a target worth billions of dollars…
It is also possible that all the allegations here, in the affidavits, and elsewhere, as well as the implications linked to them – all that could be accurate.
To jump on the bandwagon is the wrong response. But to suspend until investigations are concluded might not be. Each group must seriously weight the evidence itself – and not just using the ‘normal’ mechanisms they typically fall back on. This is bigger than that.
All that said, the proper course is multiple SERIOUS investigations. Probably not public investigations either. Every person who shares a post on every board connected to individuals fingered by this will either appoint ‘someone’ serious to investigate further (and given the allegations of corruption, that cannot be ‘the usual suspects’ they always use), OR they will personally familiarize themselves with the details in the affidavits.
They do not need to automatically terminate appointments…and doing so may be improper (except in positions of unusual trust involving ‘at will’ employment). To terminate a person elected to a position before fulfilling the proper process is to walk into an old trap…and that could wreck things even bigger than a stadium.
If they do anything else, like issuing silly statements or stonewalling, they are not taking this very seriously. If they have not appointed someone to vigorously investigate, and they cannot tell you the details contained in the affidavits…is that because they haven’t had time to read this and have more important things to do?
(oops, I should have said the default legal standard is almost always “more likely than not” – sometimes it’s a little higher than that, though drawing precise lines is tricky…)
But even a legal standard like ‘more likely than not’ is too high – that matters after years of litigation, after years of fighting over each scrap of evidence – after a process is almost over that could have gone on for decades.
For positions of trust, unless someone is willing to wait for years to know what to do, we must act more quickly. For that, we have processes that we deviate from at our own peril.
It amazes me how many people seem to think that someone accused of this should remain in power if there is “only” a 50% chance that the charges are true.
Yes, the FBI did some terrible things, especially under Hoover — and let’s remember that some of those labor unions absolutely were mobbed up, though less so “communisted up” in any actually dangerous way — but in this case they’ve laid things out very clearly for everyone to see, and there’s not even a partial denial. Where there’s smoke and you also see some yellow and orange flames licking up, there’s fire.
All of this is about time! Anaheim paid 100 million to build Mickey and friends parking structure and then lease it to Disney for a dollar a year. And Disney makes 10’s of millions every year off of parking fees and what do the people of Anaheim get from Disney? Nothing!
Throw all these bums is jail!
Harry Sidhu, you are Threw!
Hey the Voice of OC put up a video of my song on Instagram which was nice of them, but Instagram videos don’t seem to embed on this blog….
https://www.instagram.com/p/CduSfi3gXRl/
I wonder how many of these zits have listed to Bringing All Back Home.
Well done Vern.
THERE! Jeanine, me and Kenneth.
Curt Pringle’s blog, Sept. 28, 2020:
“…Anaheim’s Mayor Harry Sidhu and the current council leadership of Councilmembers Kring, Faessel, O’Neil and Brandman, are taking the steps to finalize an important agreement with the Angels that will ensure the stay in the city, that funds will be generated for the team to improve the stadium or build a new one AND generate over $150 million to the city’s coffers over the next three decades.
The Angels are a huge asset to the people of Anaheim and the community of Orange County. Not only does a Major League Baseball team put our region on the map, but they are an engine of economic growth for the entire area- improving property values, while attracting businesses and restaurants.
Also, MLB in town brings opportunity – opportunities for future development and job opportunities.
These are things that cannot be discounted—especially as our economy is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic.
Now it is interesting to see some voices opposing this city/ Angels deal. The usual attack is that the city won’t make enough money in the sale. But the city didn’t purchase the property 60 years ago for the purpose of filling the city coffers with development fees, but rather, the city purchased the stadium in order to bring Angels Baseball to Anaheim and enjoy the economic benefits of keeping them here.
So now is the time to thank the Anaheim council majority for getting big things done, for no other reason than to benefit all of the people who live and work in Anaheim.”
Yeah, I’ve always suspected that Pringle was alive and well in Anaheim, pulling strings.
The statement is just nonsense, of course. All that crap is easily discounted as gibberish.
Pringle made a big deal about “leaving Anaheim” when he moved to Tustin Hills a few years ago. Some journalists I won’t name fell for it. One “whistleblowing” “source” kept e-mailing me about how powerless Curt had become, and how he’d given up on the City of Kindness … but I didn’t trust this guy (I think he called himself “Adam Merrell.” I couldn’t verify who he was, and he wouldn’t let me talk to him on the phone.
And two things were already obvious. Curt was still wielding his power all over the County and maybe state, AND he had left his bosom buddy Jeff Flint in charge of things in Anaheim. I started calling Flint “Pringle’s Viceroy for Anaheim Affairs.”
PS I still haven’t gotten all the way through the 99-page Ament document, but “Political Consultant 2” smells like Curt to me (starting page 29)
I NEVER believed that “Pringle leaving Anaheim” bullshit. There’s just too much public contribution to the Public Private Partnership that can be skimmed off the top.
When they get big enough, crime bosses set up intermediaries at every step of the way. And who better to set up than two greedy dumbasses like Ament and Flint?
Y’all might want to work on Flint’s old partner in Sacramento.
Nice! Let us know if you want to cross-post something here, while the fish are biting!
I am wondering why Sidhu was allowed by the Anaheim City Council to be the sole negotiator on a deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Were other Council members expecting a campaign cash bonus as well?
Because current councilmembers Trevor O’Neil and Steve Faessel, as well as former members Jordan Brandman and Lucille Kring, are complicit order-takers.
I want to know what Curt has in his wine locker at Capital Grllle South Coast Plaza.
You-all see this morning how Arte is pissed off and wants this deal finalized by June 14 (ignoring the AG and a judge put it on hold till July)
https://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/story/2022-05-21/angel-stadium-sale-arte-moreno-harry-sidhu-corruption
Arte says WAH!! “We acted in good faith!” LOL. I advise the Council majority to curl up into a ball in the corner.
“Good faith.” That’s actually funny!
I interpret that as Arte Moreno starting the ball running for litigation (of course) – likely against Anaheim, the State of California, and everyone else under the Sun that he needs to sue in order to help get this claim into federal court. Demand for the land, plus damages for harm to his reputation…with statements at OJB becoming exhibits ‘proving’ that an influential local blog attacked him over this deal (and asking for a few hundred million as a result of that harm).
Ordinarily, I’d shrug at prospective litigation – but given what Trump did to the 9th Circuit…and given the fact that may favorite federal judge is nearing retirement and has taken a very public stand on homelessness (which is theoretically linked to the stadium deal, given the affordable housing dimension)…I don’t know who would review that claim and decide whether to dismiss it.
If the claim goes forward, Moreno would have the value of that prospective claim (lets say $300m for the land/deal itself, PLUS damages to his reputation for another $300m) – a value that’s worth a few tens of millions to his own backers (yes, certain claims that haven’t been resolved still have value in the right market). He wouldn’t even need to come up with the money to buy the land – and might be in a position to force a purchase along very similar terms during subsequent negotiations with a new mayor/council. Yuck.
Worse, while that claim works through the courts (years? decades?), who can develop on that land? The value could be utterly destroyed…indefinitely. Until it goes to Moreno for even less than Sidhu negotiated (yes, that is possible…).
Anaheim residents wouldn’t even know why any of that happened…a few donations to the right churches, and most residents will hear about how corrupt Newsom and Biden are – and how viciously they persecuted ‘innocent’ Christians (and some others who might not be members of the right church). Then a few more donations to the right politicians…
Indeed, as I write that, it occurred to me that might have been his plan all along…not the part about Trump judges in the 9th circuit – but simply making an offer, arranging for it to be so dirty that it would get detected and go bust (maybe even tipping off certain authorities to intentionally sabotage it?) – then acquiring what is effectively an ‘option’ on that land that can block any other developer/buyer, without him even needing to pay for it himself.
Sometimes, stupid can be even worse than corrupt.
I can only think of one buyer that could convince Moreno to relinquish control (and only at a substantial profit for Moreno). That buyer would look like a ‘white knight’ coming to Anaheim’s rescue – relieving it of this disastrously expensive litigation…but as things wind their way through the courts, local government wouldn’t even matter all that much anymore.
I have no idea if that was the design. Only…it’s possible. The only real unknown to working that sort of scheme is the possibility that enough city councilors would refuse to play ball and might rat out the orchestrators, or look where their eyes were not welcome…
Sadly possible. I wouldn’t mind litigating the question of whether Arte has acted in good faith (which includes over the years including the prior Stadium Grounds Giveaway attempt, through which lens this should be viewed.)