Salazar incurred significant personal debt through Miami real estate investments with her then-husband, leading to foreclosure and a negative net worth, which could raise questions about her financial judgement (Miami Herald)
For several years, she was personally on the hook for a $2 million mortgage that went into default, with her negative net worth repeatedly highlighted in public disclosures (El Nuevo Herald)
Her federal financial disclosures have shown wide fluctuations---with asset values up to $1.8 million but substantial liabilities, leaving her net worth negative or only modestly positive (around $600,000) (Miami Herald)
Issues with accurate financial reporting, including multi-million dollar misreports by her campaign treasurer and amended fundraising filings, suggest possible problems with oversight or transparency (Florida Bulldog)
Despite advocating for investment transparency as a campaign issue, Salazar has faced scrutiny over unresolved debts, complex property dealings with an ex-spouse, and unclear reporting on future income and investments (El Nuevo Herald)
Salazar Incurred Debt On Miami Real Estate During Marriage According to Miami Herald, 'Salazar's decision to purchase millions in Miami real estate with her then-husband ahead of the economic collapse in 2008 has left her with a mess. Her net worth is upside-down, and she's personally on the hook for a bank note under foreclosure after her ex defaulted on a $2 million home loan.' [Miami Herald, 9/27/18]
2013: Homestead-Exemption Issue Affected Property On Which Salazar Was Previously On The Title According to Miami Herald, 'The appraiser's office placed a roughly $7,000 tax lien on the property on Nov. 5, 2013, which Maietto paid two months later. Salazar was on the title for only the first six months of the period in question, and says she never moved into the property after the construction of the home was complete.' [Miami Herald, 9/27/18]
2018: Salazar Maintained Negative Net Worth Due To Real Estate Debts Linked To Ex-Husband According to El Nuevo Herald, "Su patrimonio neto es negativo y Salazar es personalmente responsable de un préstamo hipotecario en ejecución después que dejó de pagar un préstamo de $2 millones." [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 9/27/18]
2015: Bank Alleged Salazar and Ex-Husband Defaulted On $2 Million Mortgage According to El Nuevo Herald, "Y a principios del 2015, el banco alega que la pareja entró en mora en los pagos de la hipoteca." [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 9/27/18]
2020: Salazar Reported Ownership Of $1--5 Million In Residential Mortgages According to El Nuevo Herald, "Salazar es propietaria de entre uno y $5 millones en hipotecas residenciales, según su divulgación financiera." [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 2/1/21]
2018-2020: María Elvira Salazar Reported Significant Investment Debt From A Property Purchased With Ex-Husband According to El Nuevo Herald, 'Salazar, quien durante sus campañas ha revelado que adeudaba entre $1 y $5 millones por una propiedad de inversión que compró hace 16 años con su ex esposo.' [El Nuevo Herald, 2/3/21]
2020: Salazar Settled Ex-Husband's Mortgage Debt According to El Nuevo Herald, "Una hipoteca en peligro de ejecución que pertenecía a su ex esposo --pero que la incluía a ella como deudora-- se liquidó en noviembre de 2020 después que se le dijera a su ex marido que desalojara la propiedad." [El Nuevo Herald, 9/10/21]
2020: Salazar's Ex-Husband Removed From Mortgage After Eviction Process According to El Nuevo Herald, "Salazar dijo que Maietto aceptó pagar la hipoteca de la propiedad de Radcliffe Manor, una subdivisión en las afueras de South Miami, y endosó la escritura a su ex marido. Pero siguió siendo deudora de la propiedad, que el U.S. Bank adquirió por $770,000 en 2019. [...] una semana después de que Salazar fuera elegida para el Congreso." [El Nuevo Herald, 9/10/21]
Salazar Reported A Maximum Of $1.8 Million In Assets, But Held Negative Net Worth Due To Debt According to Miami Herald, 'Her federal financial disclosure lists the value of her assets as high as $1.8 million -- but her net worth drops into the red once you add in the mortgage on her ex-husband's house.' [Miami Herald, 9/27/18]
2018: Salazar's Assets Totaled $1.8 Million But Liabilities From Mortgage Left Her With Negative Net Worth According to El Nuevo Herald, "Su declaración financiera federal indica que el valor de sus activos asciende a $1.8 millones, pero su patrimonio neto queda en territorio negativo una vez que se toma en cuenta la hipoteca sobre la casa de su ex esposo." [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 9/27/18]
2020: Salazar's Net Worth Estimated At $600,000 With Significant Liabilities According to Miami Herald, "Her 2020 federal financial disclosure listed $20,000 in income for TV work, along with a net worth of at least $600,000. Salazar owes between $1 million and $5 million on a residential mortgage, according to her financial disclosure." [Miami Herald, 1/30/21]
2020: Federal Financial Disclosure Indicated Salazar Had Net Worth Of At Least $600,000 According to El Nuevo Herald, "En su divulgación financiera federal de 2020 aparecen ingresos de $20,000 por trabajos en televisión, junto con una fortuna neta de por lo menos $600,000." [El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida), 2/1/21]
2021: María Elvira Salazar Was Unsure Of Future External Income, Citing Pending Marriage's Impact On Financial Disclosures According to El Nuevo Herald, 'no está segura qué fuentes de ingresos externos adicionales aparecerán en su divulgación financiera de 2021, que vence en mayo. El matrimonio probablemente afectaría lo que aparece en el informe, que requiere que los legisladores enumeren las fuentes de ingresos de sus cónyuges.' [El Nuevo Herald, 2/3/21]
2020: Salazar Notified House Ethics Commission Of Sale Of Her 7 Heaven For Kids PPEC Shares According to El Nuevo Herald, 'Salazar dijo que ya ha notificado a la Comisión de Ética de la Cámara de su venta de acciones en 7 Heaven PPEC, que dijo fue el año pasado.' [El Nuevo Herald, 2/3/21]
2021-2022: Salazar Campaign Committee Attributed $2 Million In Misreported Cash To Former Treasurer According to Florida Bulldog (Fort Lauderdale), "The errors led the Salazar campaign, Salazar's leadership Freedom Force PAC and her joint fundraising committee Salazar Victory, to misreport their cash on hand by a whopping $2 million in various quarterly reports in 2021." [Florida Bulldog (Fort Lauderdale), 11/8/24]
August-September 2020: Maria Elvira Salazar Outraised Donna Shalala In Fundraising According to Miami Herald, "In Miami's neighboring 27th Congressional District, Republican former TV journalist Maria Elvira Salazar slightly outraised incumbent Rep. Donna Shalala. Federal reports filed by the candidates show that Salazar raised $1.1 million compared to Shalala's $834,000 in the latest fundraising quarter, which covers August and September." [Miami Herald, 10/16/20]
October 2020: Salazar Filed Amended Fundraising Report According to Miami Herald, "Initial fundraising totals reported to the Federal Election Commission on Thursday showed Salazar raising a smaller amount, $968,000, despite her previously sending out a press release touting a 'record-breaking' $1.1 million haul. Salazar said her 'compliance accountant made a mistake' and filed an amended report on Friday afternoon for the corrected amount." [Miami Herald, 10/16/20]
2020: Miami Herald Reported Salazar Outraised Shalala In Final Race Months According to Miami Herald, "Salazar did outraise Shalala in the race's final months, but Shalala had more resources on hand overall for her reelection campaign than Salazar." [Miami Herald, 11/3/20]
2022: Maria Elvira Salazar Raised $690,000 In Early 2022 For Reelection According to Miami Times, "Salazar had her best fundraising quarter since she assumed office last year, raking in $690,000 between New Year's Day and March 31 while still spending heavily on her reelection campaign." [Miami Times, 5/4/22]
October 2020: Shalala Maintained Cash Advantage Over Salazar According to Miami Herald, "Shalala enters October with a cash advantage over her opponent. Shalala has nearly $1.3 million in her account while Salazar has about $1.06 million." [Miami Herald, 10/16/20]
2022: Maria Elvira Salazar Held $1.96 Million Cash On Hand For Campaign According to Miami Times, "By the end of last month, Salazar held about $1.96 million of the almost $3 million she's raised while running for and holding office." [Miami Times, 5/4/22]
2019-2021: María Elvira Salazar Highlighted Politician Investment Transparency As Campaign Issue According to El Nuevo Herald, 'La propia Salazar destacó la importancia de las inversiones de los políticos durante su campaña, cuando criticó repetidamente a su entonces oponente, la representante demócrata Donna Shalala, por el manejo de sus finanzas personales.' [El Nuevo Herald, 2/3/21]
2021: María Elvira Salazar Asserted Her Investments Will Not Influence Congressional Positions According to El Nuevo Herald, 'Salazar, quien en el camino de la campaña abogó por mejorar Obamacare, una posición menos dura que la mayoría de los republicanos, dijo que sus inversiones no influirán en sus posiciones políticas. Prometió seguir las leyes y reglas sobre sus inversiones.' [El Nuevo Herald, 2/3/21]