Thread: In Routine Move, Ethics Won’t Take Up Gutierrez Arrest

In Routine Move, Ethics Won’t Take Up Gutierrez Arrest
By Daniel Newhauser
Roll Call Staff
Aug. 5, 2011, 3:55 p.m.

The House Ethics Committee announced Friday that it will not pursue an investigation against Rep. Luis Gutierrez for his recent arrest protesting in front of the White House.

U.S. Park Police officers arrested the Illinois Democrat, along with 10 other protesters, on July 26 when he failed to comply with warnings to remain in motion at a White House protest.

“The Committee considered the scope and nature of the conduct of Representative Gutierrez and determined that review by an investigative subcommittee is not required in this matter,â€

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http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-245950-gutierrez.html

Wow! if the ethics committee is not going to press charges, then Ol' Luis could still challenge Obama in the primary's! "That would be cool!"

Then maybe he should be investigated for this:

"I've known Omaira since she was 6 years old," said Ocasio, who hired her to work part-time in his aldermanic office about 10 years ago. "She got no preferential treatment."

Ocasio is former Alderman Billy Ocasio. Omaira is Omaira Figueroa, the daughter of United States Congressman Luis Gutierrez. According to the Sun Times Ms. Figueroa was allowed to buy a condo under affordable housing rules with a loan from her parents. She sold the condo one year later making an $84,900.00 profit- 55% return. At the time of the purchase, Ms. Figueroa and her husband made just under $95,000.00 per year. Did they really need affordable housing?

It is curious, before buying the home, Ms. Figueroa was hired by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Her hiring was on the recommendation of Governor Blagojevich. According to the Sun Times, her name was in a secret hiring data base kept by aides to the disgraced and indicted governor. Congressman Gutierrez denies he played any role in her hiring.

The developer of the condo project, Roman Popovych had contributed over 13,000 dollars to the then Alderman and one thousand dollars to Congressman Gutierrez. The donations were made six months before the sale to Gutierrez's daughter. The project was built in Humboldt Park. The affordable housing program was run out of the alderman's office. It was not an officially government sanctioned project. It is now in foreclosure.

Both Ocasio and Gutierrez deny wrong doing, preferential treatment, or ethical violations.

Gutierrez and Ocasio said neither they nor Figueroa did anything wrong. Nor, they said, did their close relationship give Figueroa an edge to get the home.

"Never," Gutierrez said. "Never. Absolutely not. Never. Never."

http://www.chicagonow.com/the-middle-cl ... ever-land/