Rezko gave Gutierrez a deal on town house
Chicago Sun Times
BY NATASHA KORECKI Nov 8, 2010
Convicted political fixer Tony Rezko gave U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez free upgrades on a riverfront town house after the congressman asked for them, Gutierrez told the FBI, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
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KEY WIK
Luis V. Gutierrez is a former Marxist and Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 4th district of Illinois. PSP member
1980s Chicago mayor Harold Washington's electoral coalition included many members of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party. Luis Gutierrez who became an Alderman under Washington belonged to the Marxist-Leninist Puerto Rican Socialist Party and was able to secure government funds for the PSP sponsored cultural center and for Party sponsored social services and ESL and GELD programs[6].
Supported Peurto Rican rebel prisoners
In 1999, eleven imprisoned Puerto Rican independence fighters were released on parole from long prison terms in the US. Political leaders who supported the prisoners included Reps Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), Nydia Velazquez (D, NY), Jose Serrano (D-NY), Ron Dellums (D-Calif.) and former New York City Mayor David Dinkins.[25]
Progressive agenda" on Puerto Rico
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| PSP MEMBER |
A major theme of the meeting was mobilizing the Puerto Rican vote against the ultra-right in the White House and in Congress. Rep. Gutiérrez blasted the Bush administration’s war policies, urging the participants to discuss opposing the war in Iraq and “its impact on our community.” “We don’t want to die in a declared or undeclared war started by a president that wasn’t elected by the people,” he said.
Gutiérrez also called on the activists to work in solidarity with all Latin Americans, including recent immigrants, as a way of affirming “our Puerto Rican-ness.”
Nydia Velázquez called on everyone present to organize the Puerto Rican vote to defeat Bush, noting there are sizable populations of voting-age Puerto Ricans in key states like Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio and Arizona.
The Boricua Roundtable ended with the singing of the anti-imperialist version of the Puerto Rican national anthem – La Borinqueña.[26]
Received Free Upgrades on House
Convicted political fixer Tony Rezko gave U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez free upgrades on a riverfront town house after the congressman asked for them, Gutierrez told the FBI in a 2008 interview.
Gutierrez told the FBI that he and his wife had had dinner with Rezko and his wife, and that he told him that the price of the town home had gone up $35,000 in two weeks -- from $399,000 when they first visited a model home to $434,900. Considering that the price had risen, Gutierrez told Rezko he thought he should get some upgrades. The upgrades eventually included an additional bathroom and higher-quality carpeting.
The interview was done in spring 2008. At the time, Rezko was on trial for corruption involving state contracts under then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Rezko has been a campaign fund-raiser for Blagojevich as well as Gutierrez.
Intelligence appointment
In 2010, Rep. Gutierrez was appointed to the prestigious House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.[39]
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