Nearly Half of Dem Rep. Luis Gutierrez’s First Quarter Campaign Expenditures Went to Wife

Nearly half of the campaign expenditures made by Democrat Rep. Luis Gutierrez (Ill.) during the first quarter of 2017 went to his wife, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Soraida Gutierrez, Rep. Gutierrez's wife, who was a registered lobbyist in the state of Illinois from 2003 to 2009, has been on the payroll of Gutierrez for Congress, the congressman's campaign committee, since 2010. She has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars since first appearing on the payroll.

Soraida was paid $6,000 from Gutierrez for Congress on Feb. 6 for acting as the campaign's treasurer and for management and fundraising services. On Feb. 28, another $6,000 was paid to the congressman's wife.

The $12,000 in payments to Soraida account for nearly half of the campaign's $25,152.08 in expenditures during the first quarter, which runs from Jan. 1 to March 31. Rep. Gutierrez also reimbursed himself $531.02 for travel expenses and lodging that was "charged to the wrong account."

Soraida Gutierrez has pocketed $385,000 from her husband's campaign committee since 2010.

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