By Lee Cary
Former Chicago Alderman, and now 11-term Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (D. 4th Dist. IL) is described by one news outlet as a “59-year-old Illinois congressman [who] stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, which is only one reason he got his nickname, “El Gallito” — the little fighting rooster.”
As immigration chairman for the House Hispanic caucus, Gutierrez is fighting hard for a Presidential Executive Order granting amnesty to as many as 5 million illegal immigrants.
He says, ““When I see those children, I see my own daughter. I can’t help but see that. I see my nieces and nephews.”
Gutierrez’s reputation in Chicagoland’s politics is not untarnished. There’s that sweetheart deal he got from Tony Rezko in the purchase of a condo for his daughter. There’s the $500,000 plus he paid in taxpayer money over 10 years to a Chicago lobbyist to advise his congressional staff. And, the 2004 allegation that Gutierrez lobbied Mayor Daley for a residential development owned by a man who loaned Luis $200,000. The developer was later federally indicted concerning the same development.
But forget all that – that’s all in the past.
Today, Gutierrez is firmly ensconced in one of the most gerrymandered congressional districts in America. You need a GPS to find its boundaries.
These days, the 4th 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, Gutierrez For Congress raised $2,973,972.
In the last seven races – 2014 is pending – Gutierrez’s opponents have raised a total of $14,192; all of that was collected by his 2012 opponent, Hector L. Concepcion. Concepcion spent all but one dollar of his campaign fund in his 2012 race against Gutierrez. 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, Gutierrez For Congress raised a total of $524,452. (All statistics cited herein come from the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) website,www.fec.gov, and from www.opensecrets.org .)
FEC filings for the last two election cycles (2014 is incomplete) indicate that Gutierrez For Congress paid out, over those three-and-a-half years, $173,879 for the position of “Office Manager, Treasurer and Fundraising” for his campaign.
That expenditure represents over 33% of the total campaign donations raised during 42 months into the 2014 cycle.
The “Payee Name” listed on the FEC filings as having received payment as “Office Manager, Treasurer and Fundraising” is Soraida Gutierrez – also known as 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 “Yates, 230 E. Center Drive, Vernon Hills, IL, 60061.” The “Purpose of the Expenditure” is indicated as “reimbursed charged to wrong account.” Dr. William D. Yates, M.D. runs the Yates Hair Science Group clinic at that address.
Here are the top contributing PACs (with the exception of individual contributions from Cantu Construction – a major bundler for Hillary in 2008 in SE Texas) to Gutierrez’s 2014 campaign to date (source: OpenSecrets.org):
- Border Health $10,000
- Deloitte LLP 10,000
- National Assn of Realtors 8,000
- Cantu Construction 5,200
- AT&T Inc 5,000
- Carpenters & Joiners Union 5,000
- Laborers Union 5,000
- McDonald’s Corp 5,000
- Operating Engineers Union 5,000
- Service Employees International Union 5,000
- UNITE HERE 5,000
- Broadcasting Media Partners 4,000
- Costello for Congress Cmte 4,000
- American Institute of CPAs 3,940
- Accenture 3,500
- Allstate Insurance 3,000
- American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees 3,000
- Verizon Communications 3,000
- Ernst & Young 2,500
- Microsoft Corp 2,500
- Sheet Metal Workers Union 2,500
- United Food & Commercial Workers Union 2,500
New Americans Fund
The New Americans Fund (FEC I.D. #C00530816), 236 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Washington, DC, was formed on September 28, 2012. That is also, by the way, the address for Davey Consulting – A Political Fundraising Firm.
Luis V. Gutierrez is listed in the FEC’s Statement of Organization as the “Connected Organization, Affiliated Committee, Joint Fundraising Representative, or Leadership PAC Sponsor.”
Danny (Daniel) Solis, Chicago 25th Ward Alderman, is the “Custodian of Records.”
Omaira Figueroa, Luis and Soraida Gutierrez’s daughter, is the “Treasurer.”
As of the close of the January 1 – June 20, 2013 reporting period, the New Americans Fund had a cash-on-hand balance of $80,108.45. In its lifetime, NAF disbursed $7,221.55.
Here are some significant contributors to New Americans Fund in the 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 – $1,000
- Illinois Corn Growers Association PAC – 1,000
- McDonalds Corporation PAC – 1,500
- The Western Company PAC – 2,000
New Americans Fund Becomes Immigration Reform Fund (IRF)
On November 18, 2013, the New Americans Fund changed its name to Immigration Reform Fund (IRF). 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 – 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 the 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 – about $167,415.06 – collected through the two fundraising efforts awaits disbursement. But for what purpose does it wait?
Conclusion
El Gallito is this year’s 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 – 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 – hedging their bets.
Congressman Luis Gutierrez consistently highlights the plight of illegal immigrants in America, particularly Hispanics. (Chinese undocumented workers don’t show up on his radar screen.)
In Gutierrez’s case, the fact that there’s 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.
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