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2h ago

Trump Pardons Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez and Two Co-Defendants

The White House calls the case political, pointing to an investigation that it says began days after her 2020 Trump endorsement.

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Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez Garced speaks during a press conference to announce strict new rules for all passengers flying into Puerto Rico to curb coronavirus cases in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on June 30, 2020. (Photo by Ricardo ARDUENGO / AFP) (Photo by RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images)
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Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez Garced speaks during a press conference to announce the strict new rules for all passengers flying into Puerto Rico to curb coronavirus cases in San Juan, Puerto Rico on June 30, 2020.

Overview

  • The pardons cover Vázquez, banker Julio Martín Herrera-Velutini and former FBI agent Mark Rossini, a White House official confirmed.
  • The trio were indicted in 2022 over an alleged scheme tied to Vázquez’s 2020 campaign and pleaded guilty in August 2025 to misdemeanor campaign finance charges, with sentencings set for this month.
  • Prosecutors had alleged Herrera and Rossini offered campaign support if Vázquez replaced Puerto Rico’s top bank regulator with their preferred candidate.
  • Puerto Rican political figures condemned the clemency, arguing it weakens public integrity and public trust in the justice system.
  • The pardons come during a broader wave of contentious clemency actions as DOJ’s Public Integrity Section has been restructured, with a federal judge previously criticizing the government’s last-minute shift to lesser charges.