Gutierrez keeps Pelosi waiting for check

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) appears to be having a little trouble deciding whether to pay his dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

Gutierrez is known at the DCCC for not paying his dues, which help politically vulnerable Democrats retain their seats.

Earlier this year, Gutierrez told The Hill he’d had a change of heart, and would pay his dues by May 1. The difference? A meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) during which she pledged to advance an issue close to Gutierrez’s heart: immigration reform.

“I am going to [pay my dues] this time,” he said, “because I saw a little more twinkle and brightness in the Speaker’s eyes when she [was talking about immigration reform.]”

But according to an Aug. 24 DCCC dues document obtained by The Hill, Gutierrez has yet to pay a dime of his $250,000 dues — even though he has more than $500,000 cash on hand.

Gutierrez, a Financial Services subcommittee chairman, is contemplating running for mayor of Chicago.

The congressman’s office did not reply to a request for comment.

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