South Bay elected official — again — amends income disclosures after inewsource probe

Imperial Beach City Councilmember Matthew Leyba-Gonzalez updated three years of financial statements after inewsource reported omissions in his disclosures.

This stems from our investigation last year, which found a coalition of labor unions uses rent and laundry payments from a low-income apartment complex to fund political activity across the region. Some of that money even helped Leyba-Gonzalez get elected in Imperial Beach. Meanwhile, tenants living there complained for years about conditions.

Last month, inewsource reported an update: Leyba-Gonzalez reported for the first time his connection to the National City Park Apartments. But he didn’t amend previous statements to show his years of service.

Four days after the story published, Leyba-Gonzalez filed amendments to his financial disclosures from 2022 through 2024. Together, they show he has collected more than $100,000 from the apartments every year since 2022.

Leyba-Gonzalez did not respond to a request for comment.

Elected officials are required to fill out a form every year that shows their financial interests, such as income and business ties. These filings help members of the public see if an official might have a conflict of interest — for example, making decisions that benefit themselves or their employer.

The state’s Fair Political Practices Commission is charged with enforcement. A spokesperson with the agency said they aren’t aware of any complaints related to Leyba-Gonzalez’s disclosures.