Twenty twenty-four will offer an intriguing opportunity to compare two political acts taking place on vastly different stages.
The first, and most local, is the legal case against Chula Vista Councilwoman Andrea
Cardenas and her brother Jesus, a political consultant.
The pair in November were accused by the San Diego County District Attorney of committing a variety of felonies related to Paycheck Protection Program loans made available to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The siblings appeared briefly in superior court in December to plead not guilty to all the charges against them.
Their next court appearance is scheduled for January 2024
The other political drama takes place on the national stage.
Former president Donald Trump is the defendant in not one, not two, not three but four criminal cases.
The complaints against the ex-president run the gamut. From falsifying business records for the purpose of paying off an adult film starlet, to possessing and hiding classified documents at his Florida estate long after his presidency was finished, to interfering with the 2020 presidential election so that he could stay in office even after losing.
Trump’s court cases are spread out between state and federal courts. Cardenas’ case is to be heard in a downtown San Diego superior courtroom.
Trump, a Republican, is the first president in American history to be indicted (or to be impeached twice while in office, but that’s another story).
The Democrat Cardenas is the second sitting Chula Vista Council member to be indicted by a District Attorney in recent memory.
Trump, who is running again, for the office of the President of the United States, contends all the charges against him are politically motivated and designed to keep him out of office.
Cardenas, despite the charges levied against her just four months before the March elections, has chosen to run again for her council seat, saying she wants an opportunity to defend herself while serving her community.
Trump has millions of dollars at his disposal. Cardenas, not so much.
Political and justice system junkies will have plenty to look forward to in the days ahead.The rest of us may already be too sad and exhausted to watch.
