Harish ‘Harry’ Sidhu, the first Sikh and the first person of colour to be elected as the mayor of Anaheim, California, in 2018, has pleaded guilty to four felony charges related to corruption and fraud. Sidhu, 66, resigned from his office last year amid an FBI investigation into his involvement in a failed stadium sale.
Sidhu admitted that he sold confidential information belonging to the city to the Los Angeles Angels Major League Baseball club, which was negotiating to buy the Angel Stadium from the city. Sidhu also expected a $1 million campaign contribution from the Angels after the deal was done.
Sidhu also confessed that he destroyed evidence by deleting emails and documents to obstruct the FBI’s probe. He also cheated California tax authorities and lied to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about his purchase of a helicopter.
Sidhu faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
This shows a dark side of Indian immigrants, who in most instances have contributed to the growth and development of the country from tech to healthcare to business and everything in between. His case has shocked and disappointed many in the Indian-American community, who had seen him as a role model and a trailblazer.
