Overview
- The White House confirmed Friday that pardons for Vázquez, banker Julio Herrera Velutini and former FBI agent Mark Rossini are in effect, canceling sentencings set for this month.
- All three pleaded guilty last August to misdemeanor campaign-finance violations following a Justice Department deal that replaced conspiracy, bribery and honest-services fraud counts.
- The federal judge overseeing the matter criticized the late shift to lesser charges, calling the FECA penalties a “slap on the wrist” compared with the original exposure.
- Prosecutors alleged Herrera and Rossini funneled more than $300,000 to consultants as part of an effort to have Vázquez replace Puerto Rico’s top bank regulator with their choice while a bank was under scrutiny.
- The White House labels the case political, pointing to an inquiry that began days after Vázquez endorsed Trump in 2020, and the pardons add to a broader clemency wave affecting Public Integrity Section cases.