Cuban Raft Boy Controversy
A Curious Money Trail
Turns out that Circuit Judge Rosa Rodriguez, who ordered that Elian stay in the U.S. until a March court date, has close political ties to Armando Gutierrez, the chief spokesman for Elian's Miami relatives. During her 1998 election campaign, Rodriguez paid Gutierrez and his wife more than $ 60,000 for consulting services. Here's a printout from the Florida election division showing a representative payout to a Gutierrez firm.