Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who just announced he will not seek reelection after 24 years in the House, paid his wife over $430,000 with campaign funds.
Soraida Gutierrez, Luis's wife, has been paid more than $430,000 by Gutierrez for Congress, Luis's campaign committee. She has been collecting the money since 2010. In the current year she is the campaign's top expenditure.
Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez
Soraida, who was a registered lobbyist in Illinois prior to appearing on the campaign's payroll, has been listed as the campaign's office manager, fundraiser, and treasurer for the past seven years.
Gutierrez's campaign committee has reported $77,838.69 in operating expenditures from the beginning of January to the end of September. Soraida has received seven checks for $6,000 each—or $42,000 total—during this time, meaning that she has collected more than half of his campaign's disbursements.
The second largest expenditure from Gutierrez's campaign this year is a $22,000 donation to the Puerto Rican Relief Fund, which is not included in the committee's operating expenditures total, but is rather marked under other disbursements.
Gutierrez has said he is leaving Washington to focus on the rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico, although some have speculated that the abrupt retirement raises questions about his motives and that he has made a "grand inside play," Politico reported.
Despite Soraida being paid generously for fundraising services from the campaign, the committee has raised only $2,812.86 in total individual contributions this year. Other campaign committees have added $17,000 in donations to Gutierrez.
This is not the first time Soraida has been the top recipient of cash from her husband's campaign.
When Soraida first joined the campaign in 2010, she was paid $44,000 from its war chest. In 2012, Soraida's payments rose to $93,000. In 2014, Soraida pulled in $110,000. In 2016, she collected $125,856. Soraida was the top recipient of cash from Gutierrez for Congress every election cycle since first appearing on its payroll seven years ago.
Gutierrez also paid his two daughters a combined $5,000 for a fundraising project and bookkeeping between 2004 and 2009.
Yet another example of the left using politics as a scheme to get rich. These people are supposed to be public servants. Instead they use campaign donations to improve their lifestyle and amass wealth.
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