President Donald Trump has announced his intention to pardon former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez, who pleaded guilty to a campaign finance violation last summer. According to a White House official, Vázquez is one of three individuals facing potential prison time due to bribery charges related to her 2020 gubernatorial campaign.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges that from December 2019 to June 2020, Vázquez conspired with two co-defendants to illegally finance her campaign. The indictment claims that Julio Herrera Velutini, the owner of an international bank operating in San Juan, and Mark Rossini, a former FBI agent, agreed to provide campaign funding in exchange for Vázquez agreeing to replace the island’s top bank regulator with a candidate of their choosing. At the time, the bank was under scrutiny by regulatory authorities, as indicated by federal prosecutors.
In August 2022, after negotiations with the government, Vázquez, Herrera, and Rossini pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges. The White House argues that the charges were politically motivated. A White House official pointed out that the investigation into Vázquez commenced just ten days after she endorsed Trump in 2020. While Trump was president during her endorsement, Vázquez was not arrested until the Biden administration took office.
In her pardon application, Vázquez maintains that there was no quid pro quo or bribery involved in her dealings with Herrera. The case has garnered significant attention, raising questions about political influence and the legal implications of campaign financing in Puerto Rico.
The pardon, if granted, would highlight the ongoing complexities surrounding political accountability and the intertwining of personal and political motivations in the realm of governance.
