Why would a Mexican businessman care to influence San Diego politics?
It’s a question that’s nagged the city since news broke of a scandal involving $500,000 in illegal campaign donations, a straw donor, four top candidates in recent elections and a lot of loose ends.
READ MORE: Everything We Know About the Campaign Finance Scandal Rocking San Diego
Prosecutors in a federal case say two men — ex-police officer Ernesto Encinas and lobbyist Marco Polo Cortes — worked to launder money from wealthy Mexican businessman Jose Susumo Azano Matsura and put it toward supporting District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis during her 2012 mayoral bid, and former Mayor Bob Filner, among others.
But wait, there’s more. Watch this edition of San Diego Explained with Voice of San Diego’s Scott Lewis and NBC 7’s Catherine Garcia to find out what social media consultant Ravneet Singh and luxury car dealership owner Marc Chase might have to do with this, and what particulars are still unknown in this case.