Just a day after she left office as a Chula Vista City Council Member Andrea Cardenas and her brother faced a Judge answering to a new charge each.
Tuesday, Cardenas and her brother Jesus, both pleaded not guilty to a new felony charge of grand theft.
The prosecutor says both are accused of stealing money from the Employment Development Department during April and December of 2020.
We spoke to Pedro Bernal, Cardena’s lawyer, after the hearing about the latest charge. He says, “Like millions of Americans she applied for unemployment insurance during that period of time we have to review the evidence to see if mistakes were made.”
Prior to this Cardenas was already facing a list of charges including money laundering and tax evasion. Prosecutors claim she and her brother falsified information to receive $175,000 from the government and then used that money for personal expenses. The two pled not guilty to those charges.
Tuesday’s court hearing comes a day after Cardenas resigned from her positions as a Chula Vista City Council Member. She sent a memo to her colleagues saying she was stepping down to “prioritize on my mental health.”
Cardenas was up for re-election but her lawyer says she is no longer running.
Bernal says, “She's still on the ballot is too late to remove her but she's not actively campaigning
She resigned her position she did so in a difficult matter.”
Her lawyer also says they are in talks with the District Attorney’s Office to try and reach an agreement on a plea deal.
ABC10NEWS asked Bernal why they were entertaining a plea deal if his client wasn’t guilty. He says, “In every single case you have to evaluate the strength and weakness of our case. A plea deal has not been entered and a jury has not found them guilty so these are mere allegations. No one has admitted to any conduct.In every case there are discussions with the judge and behind the scenes to find a resolution that's mutually agreeable to both parties.”
Both will be back in court next week for a hearing.
