FRAUD CHARGES FOR CHULA VISTA COUNCIL MEMBER AND HER BROTHER, AN EX AIDE TO STEPHAN WHITBURN

by Brooke Binkowski

 Times of San Diego

Andrea and Jesus Cardenas. Photos from Facebook and LinkedIn pages

November 3, 2023 (Chula Vista)-- Two well-known Democratic political players and siblings in South Bay — a Chula Vista City Council member and a former San Diego City Council member’s chief of staff — are facing fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering charges, the San Diego District Attorney’s office announced yesterday.

Andrea Cardenas, a Chula Vista City Council member, and her older brother Jesus Cardenas, a former chief of staff to San Diego City Councilman Stephen Whitburn, are accused of fraudulently obtaining a $176,227 Paycheck Protection Program loan for their Grassroots Resources, a local government and political consulting firm.

The investigation was conducted by the DA’s Public Integrity Unit with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security — Office of Inspector General, Covid Fraud Unit.

According to charging documents, Jesus Cardenas misrepresented the company to receive PPP loans by stating that he had 34 employees and that Grassroots Resources was not a political consulting company. 

He then used the loans for personal expenses, according to the DA.  

Andrea Cardenas worked with Jesus Cardenas on the purportedly fraudulent loans by substituting information about Grassroots Resources requested by the lender with that of Harbor Collective, a marijuana dispensary. 

According to La Prensa, Cardenas disclosed her income from Grassroots Resources as an employee “salary” of between $10,001 and $100,000, in addition to her salary of more than $60,000 from Chula Vista for her work on the council.

However, when Grassroots Resources was seeking a consulting contract with a local public water agency in November 2021, Andrea Cardenas responded to a request for proof of the company’s workers’ compensation insurance by saying Grassroots Resources had “no employees.”

They are facing conspiracy, money laundering, grand theft, and tax fraud charges, among others. Their arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 9 at 1:30 p.m. at the San Diego Superior Court building downtown.

If convicted, Andrea Cardenas faces up to five years, eight months in prison; Jesus Cardenas could receive a sentence of up to four years, four months.