HAS WHITBURN FIGURED OUT PROBLEM IS REAL?

A recent story by The San Diego Union-Tribune's Watchdog team raises concerns about financial dealings by prominent local political figures who should know better. It's a terrible look for San Diego Councilmember Stephen Whitburn's chief of staff Jesus Cardenas, who founded and owns a consulting firm that questionably collected at least $205,000 from the county Democratic Party to pay for digital advertising over the last four months of 2022.

Grassroots Resources collected the money even though it was suspended on Jan. 3, 2022, by the state Franchise Tax Board after the latest in a series of failures to provide paperwork about its operations to state regulators. A spokesperson for the Secretary of State's Office said a suspended company is not supposed to conduct any business “until the entity is placed into active status.” Seems clear-cut.

Whitburn may finally realize this is a problem — that journalists' questions about Cardenas' conflict of interest and his Grassroots' role are valid, and not something to ignore. On Wednesday, after he and Cardenas declined comment to an editorial writer, Whitburn sent this statement: “Jesus is doing great work for the city as my chief of staff. We have a lot of work to do. Jesus needs to quickly resolve the issues with the Franchise Tax Board, and he needs to make a choice between his role at the city and any obligations with Grassroots Resources. Jesus has indicated to me that he will do so promptly.”

Even if Cardenas stops working for the city, the state Fair Political Practices Commission should review the Grassroots case. The idea that honoring state law should be seen as an option, not an obligation, for a political consultant is unacceptable.