Trump Pardons Former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez and Co-defendants
President Trump pardoned former Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez and co-defendants after her guilty plea in a campaign-finance case prosecutors called linked to bribery scheme.
Overview
President Trump pardoned former Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez Garced and co-defendants Julio Herrera Velutini and Mark Rossini; Vázquez had pleaded guilty to a reduced campaign-finance charge.
Vázquez had been indicted in 2022 on bribery and corruption allegations tied to efforts to replace Puerto Rico's banking commissioner and to secure campaign funding during 2019–2020.
Federal prosecutors said Velutini and Rossini promised financial support and paid consultants more than $300,000; they and Vázquez later pleaded to lesser charges in a plea agreement.
The White House described the prosecution as politically motivated, saying the probe began shortly after Vázquez endorsed Trump in 2020; critics call the pardon corrosive to public integrity.
The pardon is part of a wide clemency campaign by Trump administration since 2025, sparking debate in Puerto Rico and among U.S. lawmakers about accountability and justice.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the pardons as part of a broader pattern undermining public-integrity institutions, emphasizing DOJ concerns and judicial dismay while presenting White House claims as contested. For example, reports highlight Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll’s 'strikingly' rebuke, the unraveling of the Public Integrity Section, and critics’ warnings that the pardon fosters impunity.
Sources (11)
FAQ
Wanda Vázquez was indicted in 2022 on bribery and corruption charges related to a scheme from 2019-2020 to replace Puerto Rico's banking commissioner and secure campaign funding. Co-defendants Julio Herrera Velutini and Mark Rossini were accused of promising financial support and paying over $300,000 to consultants.
Vázquez pleaded guilty last August to a reduced misdemeanor charge of accepting a promise of a campaign contribution from a foreigner that was never received. Prosecutors sought one year in prison, but her plea deal anticipated probation; sentencing was pending.
Julio Martín Herrera Velutini, a Venezuelan banker whose bank was under investigation, and Mark Rossini, a former FBI agent who provided consulting services, both pleaded to lesser charges.
The investigation began 10 days after Vázquez endorsed Trump in 2020; she is aligned with the pro-statehood New Progressive Party.
Vázquez, an attorney and Republican, became Puerto Rico's second female governor in August 2019 after Ricardo Rosselló's resignation amid protests. She served until 2021, losing primaries to Pedro Pierluisi.
History
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