Overview
- An unnamed White House official confirmed Trump intends to grant clemency to Vázquez, whose sentencing on a federal campaign‑finance conviction is scheduled for January 29.
- Wanda Vázquez pleaded guilty in August 2025 to accepting a promise of a foreign campaign contribution, after prosecutors withdrew earlier conspiracy, bribery and wire‑fraud charges under a plea deal.
- Federal prosecutors sought a one‑year prison term, a recommendation her lawyers opposed while arguing the government was violating the plea agreement.
- Prosecutors alleged a scheme involving banker Julio Herrera Velutini and former FBI agent Mark Rossini to back Vázquez’s 2020 campaign in exchange for replacing Puerto Rico’s financial regulator; both co‑defendants also pleaded guilty to the FECA charge, and Trump also plans to pardon them, according to the White House.
- Puerto Rican representative Pablo José Hernández publicly condemned the planned pardon, saying it promotes impunity and undermines public integrity.