Rep. Salazar Faced With $3,000 Question After Donor Charged In Plot

Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar faces a new campaign finance issue as her Democratic opponent demands answers regarding a $3,000 contribution from an Ecuadorian developer accused of plotting an assassination.

The donation was made by Xavier Jordán, who faces charges for directing and financing the 2023 killing of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Federal filings indicate the money reached Salazar’s campaign account on Oct. 29, 2024. Ecuadorian prosecutors formally charged Jordán in September 2025, a move that followed the victim’s shooting death in Quito on Aug. 9, 2023.

Jordán’s legal troubles extend beyond the criminal case. He previously sued Villavicencio for defamation earlier in 2023 and dismissed the suit two weeks after the candidate died. The developer also sued Ecuador’s then-Attorney General in 2024 over television comments that linked him to the murder. While Jordán’s lawyer, Richard J. Diaz, disputes the allegations, he told The Miamian that he could not recall if he introduced the two men. Diaz argued that Salazar might not have known about the accusations when she received the funds.

The political pressure has intensified with Election Day approaching on Nov. 3. Eliott Rodriguez, a former CBS News Miami anchor challenging Salazar for the 27th Congressional District, called the donation a failure of judgment. Rodriguez, who represents the district’s Miami-Dade County seats including Coral Gables and Key Biscayne, wants Salazar to refund the contribution and explain how she met Jordán. He also asked if the developer sought assistance from her congressional office.

“Once is a mistake. Twice is a problem. Three times, it’s a scandal. This fourth incident is now disqualifying,” Rodriguez said. He added that silence is not accountability for a representative who swore an oath to the American people. Salazar’s campaign did not immediately respond to queries about the matter, and the representative did not answer a previous request for comment.

This is not the first time Salazar has faced scrutiny over controversial donors. In 2022, she received $750 from former U.S. Ambassador Manuel Rocha, who later pleaded guilty to secretly serving Cuba and received a 15-year prison sentence. Her campaign pledged to return that money before his sentencing. Additionally, federal authorities identified Fernando Valdés Pérez as a Cuban intelligence agent who gave Salazar $3,900 across two election cycles before his deportation. Salazar described those donations as unsolicited and pledged an equivalent contribution to groups advocating Cuban freedom.

The current controversy follows earlier reporting that Honduran businessman Lenir Pérez spent $112,000 this year toward re-electing Salazar and other allied candidates. Pérez faces environmental charges related to mining in a national park, though he has denied wrongdoing. Salazar visited Pérez’s estate in Wellington, where she also met with Honduras President Tomás Zambrano. The 27th District includes portions of South Miami, Pinecrest, and West Miami, where voters will decide Salazar’s future in four days.