President Donald Trump is set to pardon former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced and her co-defendants, Julio Martin Herrera-Velutini and Mark Rossini, according to a White House official. Vázquez was previously indicted on federal bribery charges related to her 2020 gubernatorial campaign.
The charges against Vázquez emerged in August 2022, accusing her of engaging in a bribery scheme from December 2019 to June 2020. The allegations claimed that Vázquez accepted a bribery offer to dismiss Puerto Rico’s financial commissioner in exchange for campaign support. However, Vázquez and her supporters argue that the case was politically motivated, pointing out that the investigation began shortly after she endorsed President Trump in 2020.
The White House official told Fox News that the case against Vázquez was an example of political prosecution. Vázquez has consistently maintained her innocence, stating, “I am innocent. I have not committed any crime.”
The pardon announcement follows a series of pardons issued by President Trump, many of which have been granted to political allies and white-collar criminals. The decision to pardon Vázquez and her co-defendants is expected to draw both support and criticism.
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