ByĀ Lee Cary
Former Chicago Alderman, and now 11-term Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (D. 4thĀ Dist. IL) is described by oneĀ news outletĀ as a ā59-year-old Illinois congressman [who] stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, which is only one reason he got his nickname, āEl Gallitoā ā the little fighting rooster.ā
As immigration chairman for the House Hispanic caucus, Gutierrez is fighting hard for a Presidential Executive Order granting amnesty toĀ as many as 5 millionĀ illegal immigrants.
HeĀ says, āāWhen I see those children, I see my own daughter. I canāt help but see that. I see my nieces and nephews.”
Gutierrezās reputation in Chicagolandās politics is not untarnished.Ā Thereās thatĀ sweetheart dealĀ he got from Tony Rezko in the purchase of a condo for his daughter.Ā Thereās theĀ $500,000 plusĀ he paid in taxpayer money over 10 years to a Chicago lobbyist to advise his congressional staff.Ā And, theĀ 2004 allegationĀ that Gutierrez lobbied Mayor Daley for a residential development owned by a man who loaned Luis $200,000.Ā Ā The developer was later federally indicted concerning the same development.
But forget all that ā thatās all in the past.
Today, Gutierrez is firmly ensconced in one of the most gerrymandered congressional districts in America.Ā You need a GPS to find its boundaries.
These days, the 4thĀ Illinois District Congressman is making political fund-raising a family business.
Gutierrez For Congress Campaign Fund
In the last eight election cycles, from the 1998 through mid-2014,Ā Gutierrez For CongressĀ raised $2,973,972.
In the last seven races ā 2014 is pending ā Gutierrezās opponents have raised a total of $14,192; all of that was collected by his 2012 opponent, Hector L. Concepcion.Ā Concepcion spent all but one dollar of his campaign fund in his 2012 race against Gutierrez.Ā Gutierrez, who received 83% of the vote, spent $383,558 and still had $354,393 cash-in-hand after he won.
Gutierrez won his last seven general elections with an average of 81% of the votes cast.
If Gutierrez repeatedly wins so handily over un- and under-funded candidates, why does he continue to aggressively raise campaign money every cycle?
Hold that thought.
In the last two election cycles, 2010-2012 & 2013-mid2014,Ā Gutierrez For CongressĀ raised a total of $524,452.Ā (All statistics cited herein come from the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) website,www.fec.gov, and fromĀ www.opensecrets.orgĀ .)
FEC filings for the last two election cycles (2014 is incomplete) indicate thatĀ Gutierrez For CongressĀ paid out, over those three-and-a-half years,Ā $173,879Ā for the position of āOffice Manager, Treasurer and Fundraisingā for his campaign.
That expenditure represents overĀ 33% of the total campaign donations raised during 42 months into the 2014 cycle.
The āPayee Nameā listed on the FEC filings as having received payment as āOffice Manager, Treasurer and Fundraisingā isĀ Soraida Gutierrez ā also known asĀ Mrs. Luis Gutierrez.
As an aside, the last alphabetical entry in the campaign expenditures filed during the first half of 2013 (Transaction D42169) reported $5,300 for āYates, 230 E. Center Drive, Vernon Hills, IL, 60061.āĀ The āPurpose of the Expenditureā is indicated as āreimbursed charged to wrong account.āĀ Dr. William D. Yates, M.D. runs theĀ Yates Hair Science GroupĀ clinic at that address.
Here are the top contributing PACs (with the exception of individual contributions fromĀ Cantu ConstructionĀ ā a major bundler for Hillary in 2008 in SE Texas)Ā to Gutierrezās 2014 campaign to date (source:Ā OpenSecrets.org):
- Border HealthĀ $10,000
- Ā Deloitte LLPĀ 10,000
- National Assn of RealtorsĀ 8,000
- Cantu ConstructionĀ 5,200
- Ā AT&T IncĀ 5,000
- Ā Carpenters & Joiners UnionĀ 5,000
- Laborers UnionĀ 5,000
- McDonald’s CorpĀ 5,000
- Operating Engineers UnionĀ 5,000
- Service Employees International Union 5,000
- UNITE HEREĀ 5,000
- Broadcasting Media PartnersĀ 4,000
- Costello for Congress CmteĀ 4,000
- American Institute of CPAsĀ 3,940
- AccentureĀ 3,500
- Allstate InsuranceĀ 3,000
- American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees 3,000
- Verizon CommunicationsĀ 3,000
- Ernst & YoungĀ 2,500
- Microsoft CorpĀ 2,500
- Sheet Metal Workers UnionĀ 2,500
- United Food & Commercial Workers Union 2,500
New Americans Fund
TheĀ New Americans FundĀ (FEC I.D. #C00530816), 236 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington, DC, was formed on September 28, 2012.Ā That is also, by the way, the address forĀ Davey Consulting – A Political Fundraising Firm.
Luis V. Gutierrez is listed in the FECāsĀ Statement of OrganizationĀ as the āConnected Organization, Affiliated Committee, Joint Fundraising Representative, or Leadership PAC Sponsor.ā
Danny (Daniel) Solis, Chicago 25thĀ Ward Alderman, is the āCustodian of Records.ā
Omaira Figueroa, Luis andĀ Soraida Gutierrezās daughter, is the āTreasurer.ā
As of the close of the January 1 ā June 20, 2013 reporting period, theĀ New Americans FundĀ had a cash-on-hand balance of $80,108.45.Ā In its lifetime, NAF disbursed $7,221.55.
Here are some significant contributors toĀ New Americans FundĀ in theĀ 2012 cycle:
Rank | Contributor | Total | Indivs | PACs |
1 | United Building Maintenance | $10,000 | $10,000 | $0 |
2 | Aarnstein & Lehr Llp | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 |
2 | American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 |
2 | Brown Udell Pomerantz, et al | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 |
2 | Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 |
6 | Goldman Sachs | $2,500 | $0 | $2,500 |
6 | UBS Americas | $2,500 | $0 | $2,500 |
6 | Wal-Mart Stores | $2,500 | $0 | $2,500 |
9 | Allstate Insurance | $1,500 | $0 | $1,500 |
9 | Chicago Board Options Exchange | $1,500 | $0 | $1,500 |
9 | General Electric | $1,500 | $0 | $1,500 |
9 | Investment Co Institute | $1,500 | $0 | $1,500 |
9 | Rent-A-Center | $1,500 | $0 | $1,500 |
14 | Aaron’s Inc | $1,000 | $0 | $1,000 |
14 | Association of Progressive Rental Organizations | $1,000 | $0 | $1,000 |
14 | Capitol Counsel | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
14 | Constellation Brands | $1,000 | $0 | $1,000 |
14 | Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
14 | Hispanic Housing Development Corp | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
14 | Next Realty | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
14 | Regions Financial | $1,000 | $0 | $1,000 |
14 | Sallie Mae | $1,000 | $0 | $1,000 |
14 | Tropical Optical | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
Additional contributors, excluding individuals, listed in FEC records include:
- Friends of Saviano ā $1,000
- Illinois Corn Growers Association PAC ā 1,000
- McDonalds Corporation PAC ā 1,500
- The Western Company PAC ā 2,000
New Americans Fund Becomes Immigration Reform Fund (IRF)
On November 18, 2013, theĀ New Americans FundĀ changed its name toĀ Immigration Reform FundĀ (IRF).Ā The committee persons and the mailing address remained the same.
IRF carried over a balance of $80,108.45 from NAF.
From July 1, 2014 ā June 15, 2014, IRF grew from the balance transferred from NAF to $167,415.06, and spent $14,137.39 ($5,000 went to Menendez for Senate).
Here is a list of leading IRF contributors in theĀ 2014 cycle:
Rank | Contributor | Total | Indivs | PACs |
1 | United Building Maintenance | $10,000 | $10,000 | $0 |
2 | McAllen Stained Glass | $5,200 | $5,200 | $0 |
3 | American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 |
3 | Border Health | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 |
3 | Devon Bank | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 |
3 | Guaranteed Rate | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 |
3 | Gutierrez for Congress | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 |
3 | Health Counselor | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 |
3 | Potomac Property Mgt | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 |
3 | Ranger Capital Management | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 |
3 | State of Illinois | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 |
3 | Ubm Mechanical | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 |
3 | Wyndalco Enterprises | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 |
14 | Apics | $3,500 | $3,500 | $0 |
14 | Wal-Mart Stores | $3,500 | $0 | $3,500 |
16 | Comcast Corp | $3,000 | $0 | $3,000 |
17 | Connect-Ed Consulting | $2,500 | $2,500 | $0 |
17 | International Bank of Commerce | $2,500 | $0 | $2,500 |
17 | Managed Care Marketing Ltd | $2,500 | $2,500 | $0 |
17 | Miramar Group | $2,500 | $2,500 | $0 |
Obviously, the bulk of money ā about $167,415.06 ā collected through the two fundraising efforts awaits disbursement. But for what purpose does it wait?
Conclusion
El GallitoĀ is this yearās most passionate, high-profile, congressional advocate for amnesty for Hispanic illegal immigrants.
Consequently, he attracts donations from like-minded persons, pro-undocumented immigrant organizations, and large corporations.
The motive of many contributors, individuals, and PACs, is clearly simpatico with those Gutierrez expresses ā loudly and often.
The motive prompting large corporations to contribute to Gutierrez is less clear. But then many are prone to spread money across the political, ideological spectrum ā hedging their bets.
Congressman Luis Gutierrez consistently highlights the plight of illegal immigrants in America, particularly Hispanics.Ā (Chinese undocumented workers donāt show up on his radar screen.)
In Gutierrezās case, the fact that thereās job security to be gained through aggressive, pro-illegal immigrant fundraising, as well as enhanced family assets, is, of course, merely an unintended consequence of his heart-felt compassion.
Read moreĀ Lee Cary atĀ American Thinker