(Sacramento, CA) – Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) and Assemblymember Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim), issued the following statements today in response to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee’s approval of their request to conduct an emergency audit of the City of Anaheim and its leases and/or sale negotiations with the Los Angeles Angels Major League Baseball Team regarding Angels Stadium:

Senator Umberg stated:

“The people of Anaheim deserve oversight and transparency on the topic of the Anaheim Stadium. This taxpayer-owned stadium is estimated to be worth $500 million. It was hours away from being sold for $320 million – nearly two hundred million dollars below market value. Previous closed-door and back room deals pertaining to this issue have already led to former mayor Sidhu facing prison time -- with a ripple effect of resignations and allegations of fraud and collusion among city agencies and community organizations alike.

The best way to move forward is to understand what decisions were made by former Anaheim officials and their impact on the future of Anaheim Stadium and its disposition. Our audit request will ensure we examine any actions in the past and how they can inform and bind future decision making. It’s the least we can do to reassure the residents of Anaheim that we are on their team.”

Assemblymember Valencia added:

“The City of Anaheim and its residents deserve a world-class stadium and team. To achieve this, we must look in the rearview mirror and understand what has worked and what hasn’t. I am pleased to announce that our audit request has been approved by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. This audit will rigorously examine the recent issues brought forward involving the Anaheim Stadium, the Angels, and the City of Anaheim. Without proper oversight and accountability, our residents are positioned to lose the most in this situation. I stand with the residents of Anaheim and I am committed to ensuring that the audit leads to meaningful actions that secure the best possible future for our community.”

In July, the legislators submitted a joint letter requesting an emergency audit of the City of Anaheim to examine their lease agreement with the Los Angeles Angels Major League Baseball team and to address concerns regarding the compliance, revenues, and maintenance of the Anaheim Stadium. The audit request is just the latest in a series of concerns expressed by the two legislators and their predecessors about lost revenues and transparency concerning the stadium since 2019.

The Joint Legislative Audit Committee approved the emergency audit request on Friday, August 9^th.  The State Auditor has not yet issued a timeline for completion of their review, though work can occur anytime over the next 12 months.