A growing corruption probe has overtaken the Orange County Democratic Party in California. Longtime leader of the party, Melahat Rafiei, resigned Sunday night from her position as secretary of the California Democratic Party and state representative to the Democratic National Committee.

Fox LA reports she made the announcement Sunday in a letter posted on social media. “Rafiei said she was a confidential witness in the FBI probe of the proposed sale of Angel Stadium and that she resigned from her post, saying the controversy over her role had become a hindrance.”

Voice of OC reports:

According to an affidavit from FBI special agent Brian Adkins, Rafiei was arrested on attempted bribery after federal agents allege she told a cannabis company that hired her she planned on bribing two Irvine City Councilmembers in exchange for favorable legislation in the city. 

“CW1 began to devise a scheme whereby CW1 would solicit money from CHS1 and CHS2 with the intention of paying bribes to two elected members of the Irvine City Council in exchange for the Council Members performing official acts, resulting in the passage of favorable cannabis laws,” states the affidavit. 

Rafiei had been under scrutiny and pressured to quit after reports surfaced that she had been arrested by the FBI in 2019 for an alleged bribery scheme. Rafiei has not been charged.