Jesus Cardenas, who helped Councilmember Stephen Whitburn get elected in 2020, earns up to $100,000 a year from Grassroots Resources Corp.
“The PPP loan was requested and used to cover Grassroots Resources employees in their various responsibilities associated with other clients unrelated to Harbor,” Cardenas said. “La Prensa San Diego works hard to be as accurate as possible in its reporting,” he said. “If someone can prove we made a mistake, we will address any corrections or retractions that may be necessary.”dispensary in Barrio Logan is one of San Diego’s earliest legal marijuana dispensaries; it is permitted by the city and was listed as a client of Grassroots Resources in financial disclosures submitted by Cardenas.
Last year, Grassroots Resources helped Carolina Chavez and Jose Preciado join Andrea Cardenas on the five-member Chula Vista City Council. Andrea Cardenas has long represented herself as the Grassroots Resources director of community engagement. Last year, on the same public disclosures her brother is required to file, she said that because she is paid a salary by the company, she does not have to disclose its clients.
Andrea Cardenas, who collects about $70,000 a year for her part-time council job, did not respond to multiple requests for an explanation about the discrepancy between her Form 700 and her email to the water agency.