Anaheim Corruption Probe Prompts Top OC Democrat To Resign

ANAHEIM, CA — A prominent Orange County Democrat announced Sunday night she is resigning from her leadership roles in the Democratic Party due to the ongoing federal corruption investigation in Anaheim.

In a letter posted on Facebook, Melahat Rafiei said she is stepping down from her position as secretary of the California Democratic Party and as a state representative to the Democratic National Committee.

She said recent "sensationalist press reports" about her have distracted from the "important work of the party." Rafiei told the Orange County Register she was also resigning from her appointed positions on the OC Fair Board and Anaheim's Culture and Heritage Commission.

According to court documents, Rafiei was arrested in 2019 on attempted bribery charges.

Rafiei's resignations come on the heels of an FBI corruption investigation involving Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu, Anaheim Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Ament and the sale of Angel Stadium.

After the investigation became public, Rafiei confirmed to Voice of OC that she helped gather evidence for the FBI on a small "cabal" of people, including Sidhu and Ament, who tightly controlled Anaheim's government.

The corruption investigation has led to Ament being charged for his reported role in a money-laundering plot, while calls for Sidhu to resign his mayorship have increased after being accused of rushing the now-stalled $320-million Angel Stadium sale.

According to court documents, Rafiei became a cooperating witness in the investigation following a 2019 arrest on attempted bribery charges. FBI agents said Rafiei promised an Irvine cannabis company she would bribe two City Councilmembers to pass legislation favorable to the business.

Rafiei has denied the 2019 charges and said she was "not compelled to cooperate."

"I chose to assist federal investigators and prosecutors out of a sense of duty and patriotism," she said.

However, California Democrats are upset that Rafiei continued to take on leadership roles and run local campaigns without disclosing her 2019 arrest.

The California Democratic Progressive Caucus said in a statement that Rafiei "put her own interests ahead of the party."

"While it is possible that the FBI case is overstated ... the important issue for the party is that she ran for CDP Officer and hid from delegates that she was arrested for corruption," the caucus said.

City News Service contributed to this report.