CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Democrat Candidate Is Hiding The Truth About His Veganism

A Democratic congressional candidate is facing fresh scrutiny over his past vegan advocacy after a senior campaign staffer was caught on camera saying he eats meat “as little as possible” in undercover video obtained exclusively by The Daily Wire.

Sam Cheever, deputy finance director for Manny Rutinel’s campaign in Colorado’s fiercely competitive 8th Congressional District, discussed the candidate’s eating habits and the campaign’s attempts to downplay them. 

In the clip, the journalist asks Cheever whether Rutinel is vegan.

“You know, the official campaign line is it doesn’t matter,” Cheever responds before discussing the candidate’s concerns about what he describes as the “environmental harm” of meat consumption.

“He, very similarly to, I think a lot of folks these days, recognizes that it’s… you look at the environmental harm… you look at just how much we’re consuming,” he said. “You don’t have to eat meat to survive.”

“The official campaign line is that people care more about what’s on their plate than on his,” Cheever adds, before telling the journalist that Rutinel ordered a bean burrito at Taco Bell that afternoon.

Asked directly whether Rutinel eats meat, Cheever emphatically shakes his head no.

“As little as possible,” he says of the candidate’s meat consumption. “I mean, if you don’t need it, why do it, right?” Cheever also acknowledged that the issue is “absolutely” difficult for a candidate campaigning in Colorado.

The exchange puts renewed attention on Rutinel’s efforts to persuade voters in CO-8 that his views on meat and animal agriculture have changed. He is running in a district stretching across Denver’s northern suburbs that could help determine control of the House. Rutinel’s campaign declined The Daily Wire’s request for comment

Republican Rep. Gabe Evans won the seat in 2024 by only a few thousand votes. With three weeks remaining in the campaign, the Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up.

Agriculture is central to the controversy. According to Upstate Colorado Economic Development, about 75% of Weld County’s 2.5 million acres are devoted to farming and livestock production.

The Colorado Sun reported in August that Rutinel ate a carne asada taco during a campaign stop, an apparent stunt to demonstrate that he now eats meat after years as an outspoken vegan and animal-rights activist.

“Good flavor. Unbelievable flavors,” he said while eating the taco. “Very well seasoned.”

Rutinel later told the outlet his vegan views had changed. “I’ve grown a lot, and I’m glad that I have,” he said.

His past advocacy remains a political vulnerability. In August, Axios reported on the candidate’s old social media posts promoting veganism as a way to reduce food costs.

In a 2017 Reddit post, Rutinel wrote, “I eat for 3 dollars a day completely vegan,” arguing that meat could be a major expense for households.

In additional posts obtained by Axios, he wrote: “It’s definitely possible to eat for even less by eating a higher proportion of beans and grains. … You’d be surprised how much you could save in the long term by adopting a plant-based diet.”

 During testimony before the Connecticut legislature, he cited a report stating that “the globe must dramatically shift away from animal products.” Rutinel also reportedly described animal agriculture as an “injustice” and urged people to “speak out on behalf of animals in captivity.”

While in college in his 20s, Rutinel posed shirtless while draped in a PETA banner to promote veganism.

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