Posted by Dan Mihalopoulos at 5:59 p.m.

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) today angrily denied sworn federal court testimony placing him at meeting that led to the creation of the scandal-scarred Hispanic Democratic Organization.

The statement by the congressman came a day after former HDO operative Roberto Medina testified during a City Hall corruption trial.

Medina, who has immunity from prosecution, said Gutierrez was at a meeting in the early 1990s with Mayor Richard Daley's brother, William, and top Daley campaign strategist Timothy Degnan. Medina said they urged him to organize support for Daley in North Side Latino neighborhoods, spawning what became known as "HDO North."

In a statement today, Gutierrez said: "I'd sue for slander, given that I was never at the meeting, but the settlement would be about as worthless as the witness' memory."

In recent years, Gutierrez has heavily criticized HDO and considered challenging Daley for mayor in 2007. But he did not run for mayor and eventually gave Daley a glowing endorsement.

"Given its history, it should never have existed," Gutierrez said of HDO. "I think they wanted to be god-like and omnipotent."

Medina's testimony mentioning Gutierrez came at the trial of Al Sanchez, the former Streets and Sanitation Commissioner accused of rigging city hiring in favor of effective HDO campaign workers.
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