Before she was reportedly accused of stealing millions of dollars in public funds, former Santa Cruz County Treasurer Elizabeth “Liz” Gutfer had a decade-long career as a public servant and seemed deeply involved in the rural border county where she grew up.
County, state and federal agencies began investigating the missing funds in April after a county bank reported suspicious activity. The investigation detailed allegations that Gutfer embezzled $39.4 million over a 10-year period.
Santa Cruz County first sued Gutfer. The county then filed suit against the Arizona Auditor General for negligence. The Auditor General's investigation found that the county board of supervisors was partly responsible for the missing funds. A federal investigation, which could lead to criminal charges, is ongoing.
The allegations came as a surprise to some in the area. One of Gutfer's neighbors, Kathleen Vandervoort, said she “had a good opinion” of the former treasurer before the county filed its civil suit. She cited Gutfer's successful career in real estate and as a public servant.
Here's what you need to know about Gutfahr.
His Santa Cruz County roots extend into a career in real estate and politics.
She grew up in Santa Cruz County and attended Nogales High School, graduating in 1979.
Before being elected county treasurer, she spent decades in real estate, working for Florida-based real estate firm Avatar Realty of Arizona in the 1990s, according to Arizona Department of Real Estate electronic license records, before starting her own firm, Rio Rico Consulting and Real Estate, in 2011.
Her first public office was a two-year term on the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District 35 Board of Trustees from 2002-2004.
She is also involved in many community organizations, including founding the Rio Rico Women's Association in 2004 and involvement with the Holy Nativity Catholic Church in Rio Rico, and media reports have also highlighted her status as a Rotary Club member.
Gutfer held a real estate broker's license that was issued in 2008 and expired in 2012, according to property records.
Gutphard first ran for Santa Cruz County Treasurer that same year, and she won a close three-way primary with 43 votes.% He won the general election in November 2012, receiving 100% of the votes.
Gutfer was re-elected in 2016 and 2020 and was planning to run unopposed in 2024, but the county sued her on embezzlement charges. The criminal investigation is still ongoing.
After becoming finance minister, Gutfahr entered the cattle business.
During her time as a public servant, she also ran various businesses, including Double D Cattle Company, which she founded in 2019 and which raises and sells cattle. The company is advertised as “family-owned and family-run.” Her immediate family includes her husband, David Gutfer, and her son, Davian Gutfer.
Other companies in her name include Casa Vista Mar, LLC, which was formed in 2023, and Rio Rico Consulting, which was formed in January 2024. Another company, Gutfahr Land and Cattle Company, LLC, was also formed in 2019 and lists her and her son, Davian, as members, according to the Arizona Corporation Commission.
She also offered her horse boarding ranch, Rancho San Cayetano, as a venue for local events, including a fundraiser for the Tubac Historical Society planned for 2023.
Recent events have marked a turning point in her life. In April, financial institution JPMorgan Chase notified the county of 11 fraudulent transactions totaling $375,000. The discovery prompted an investigation by the federal Department of Justice, the Department of Justice, the Arizona Office of the Auditor General and Santa Cruz County.
Gutphard resigned as county treasurer and was replaced by Alejandro I. Paz, who was appointed by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on May 13.
Voters are “disappointed, disgusted and frustrated” with Gutfer
Vandervoort, a neighbor of the former Treasury Secretary, Vandervoort said Gutfer taking that position on the school committee is great because it means someone is willing to volunteer a lot of their time. When Gutfer ran for treasurer, Vandervoort said he voted for her.
But Vandervoort recalled visiting Gutfall's ranch during a fundraiser and being shocked by the costly renovations, wondering how they could afford it all.
Vandervoort said she and others have been shocked and disappointed since the allegations emerged.
“All of us who voted for her trusted her and then she slammed the door in our faces,” she said. “We're just so disappointed and disgusted and frustrated.”
Contact the reporter sarah.lapidus@gannett.comThe Republic's coverage of Southern Arizona is funded in part by a grant from Report for America. Support Arizona news coverage with a tax-deductible donation. supportjournalism.azcentral.com.
