CHULA VISTA, Calif. — For the first time since criminal charges were filed against Chula Vista City Councilmember Andrea Cardenas, the council held a meeting Tuesday night.
While Cardenas herself failed to show up, a number of her critics did, demanding her immediate resignation. Cardenas and her attorney have made it clear that she intends to hold on to her council seat despite her current legal challenges.
"She does not plan to step down," her lawyer, Pedro Bernal, said last week after her arraignment. "She plans on fighting these charges."
At that arraignment, Andrea Cardenas and her brother Jesus pleaded not guilty in state court to a number of charges, ranging from conspiracy to commit fraud to money laundering to failing to file tax returns.
Investigators say that the siblings lied on their application to the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program to get $176,000 in taxpayer funds during the pandemic and then illegally used part of that money to help pay off Andrea Cardenas' campaign debt.
Her opponents were extremely vocal at Tuesday night's council meeting.
"She has taken our money and served it it to pay her bills. and that is unacceptable!" shouted one Chula Vista resident.
At the council meeting, speaker after speaker demanded Cardenas' resignation from both the Chula Vista City Council and her board membership on SANDAG.
"I'm sorry she is not here to hear us, but I hope she is listening to what we have to say here today, that we want her resignation as soon as possible," charged one resident.
"She stole our tax money," said another. "She stole it and lied and said she had 34 employees and that money came from the government: our taxes. We don't trust her anymore!"
One speaker came to Cardenas' defense.
"This the United States of America, and we have a presumption of innocence until we are convicted in a court of law," he said.
Others who chose to speak urged swift action by Mayor John McCann and the other council members.
"You guys need to censure her," said one resident. "You need to suspend her or do things that would stop her from voting because we don't trust her anymore. She's a crook!"
Last week, in a statement, Mayor McCann called on Cardenas to step down, saying "Ensuring the public trust is crucial for all elected officials. Maintaining that trust under the current circumstances is simply impossible."
Andrea Cardenas, in a statement, said she looks forward to being able to defend herself, adding "My intent has never been to harm or disappoint those who believed in me, both in life and at the ballot box."
She and her brother Jesus are scheduled to be back in court January 3.
WATCH RELATED: Chula Vista Council Member Andrea Cardenas and her brother enter not guilty pleas to fraud charges