{"id":1589204,"date":"2022-08-04T14:17:01","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T18:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1589204"},"modified":"2022-08-04T14:19:32","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T18:19:32","slug":"ex-puerto-rico-gov-busted-in-bribery-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ex-puerto-rico-gov-busted-in-bribery-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Puerto Rico Gov. Busted in Bribery Scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fex-puerto-rico-gov-busted-in-bribery-scheme%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1589204&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Former Puerto Rico Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2020\/10\/06\/puerto-rico-gov-wanda-vazquez-endorses-trumps-re-election-bid\/\">Wanda V\u00e1zquez<\/a> was arrested Thursday in a bribery scheme in which she allegedly pushed out a high-ranking government official in exchange for more than $300,000 to help her 2020 campaign.<\/p>\n<p>V\u00e1zquez, 62, is accused of working out the bribes with conspirators who included a former FBI agent, a Venezuelan Italian bank owner and a political consultant, according to the Department of Justice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPublic corruption erodes the people\u2019s trust in our institutions and fuels civil unrest,\u201d Joseph Gonz\u00e1lez, special agent in charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo one is above the law and the victim of this crime, the People, deserve better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>V\u00e1zquez, the second woman to serve as Puerto Rico\u2019s governor, was elected in 2019 after mass protests forced her predecessor from office \u2014 and she once listed fighting corruption as a top priority for her administration in an interview with the Associated Press.<\/p>\n<p>But the DOJ said V\u00e1zquez agreed to accept a bribe in exchange for replacing the head of Puerto Rico\u2019s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions, which was scrutinizing an international bank operating in San Juan.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-004.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption>Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda V\u00e1zquez was arrested Thursday in a bribery scheme.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">RICARDO ARDUENGO\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>She allegedly replaced the official with someone handpicked by the owner of the under-audit bank, Julio Mart\u00edn Herrera Velutini.<\/p>\n<p>Herrera and his consultant \u2014 former FBI Special Agent Mark Rossini \u2014 allegedly promised through intermediaries to provide funding for V\u00e1zquez\u2019s election bid in exchange for appointing the more favorable commissioner.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-009.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-009.jpg\" alt=\"Former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez\" class=\"wp-image-23332827\" width=\"278\" height=\"343\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-009.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=549 556w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-009.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=412 417w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-009.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=274 278w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-009.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=137 139w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-009.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all 1024w\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda V\u00e1zquez allegedly pushed out a high-ranking government official in exchange for more than $300,000 to help her 2020 campaign.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Twitter\/@WandaGobPR<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>V\u00e1zquez \u201cdemanded\u201d the commissioner\u2019s resignation in February 2020, and named a replacement in May 2020 who had previously worked as a consultant for Herrera\u2019s bank, the DOJ said. <\/p>\n<p>More than $300,000 flowed from the banker and ex-federal agent to political consultants for V\u00e1zquez, federal prosecutors said.<\/p>\n<p>When V\u00e1zquez lost an election primary in August 2020, Herrera allegedly tried to bribe her successor with promises of campaign cash in exchange for ending the audit of the bank on favorable terms, the DOJ said. Intermediaries made the bribe offer to someone working with the FBI, according to the feds.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesman for V\u00e1zquez, a former justice secretary and district attorney, told the AP they had no immediate comment.<\/p>\n<p>The governor had previously denied wrongdoing to the news service when it became clear charges might be coming.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cI can tell the people of Puerto Rico that I have not committed any crime, that I have not engaged in any illegal or incorrect conduct, as I have always said,\u201d she said in May.<\/p>\n<p>V\u00e1zquez, the first Puerto Rico governor to face federal charges, replaced former Gov. Ricardo Rossello, who stepped down amid controversies including accusations of corruption and economic struggles.<\/p>\n<p>She left office in 2021 after losing a New Progressive Party primary to now-Gov. Pedro Pierluisi.<\/p>\n<p>Pierluisi said in a statement that \u201cno one is above the law in Puerto Rico.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFaced with this news that certainly affects and lacerates the confidence of our people, I reiterate that in my administration, we will continue to have a common front with federal authorities against anyone who commits an improper act, no matter where it comes from or who it may implicate,\u201d the governor said.<\/p>\n<p>V\u00e1zquez, Herrera and Rossini each face up to 20 years in prison on charges of conspiracy, federal programs bribery and honest services fraud, the DOJ said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-006.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"836\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-006.jpg\" alt=\"Former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez\" class=\"wp-image-23332848\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-006.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1672 1672w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-006.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1254 1254w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-006.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=836 836w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-006.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all&#038;w=418 418w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/puerto-rico-governor-006.jpg?quality=75&#038;strip=all 1024w\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda V\u00e1zquez is the first Puerto Rico governor to face federal charges.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Twitter\/@WandaGobPR<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Also charged in the scheme are Frances Diaz, 50, the CEO and president of the bank, and John Blakeman, 53, V\u00e1zquez\u2019s political consultant. Both have pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to arrange the bribes, the DOJ said Thursday. They each face five years behind bars.<\/p>\n<p><em>With Post wires<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda V\u00e1zquez was arrested Thursday in a bribery scheme in which she allegedly pushed out a high-ranking government official in exchange for more than<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1589330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1589204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1589204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1589204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1589204\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1589330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1589204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1589204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1589204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}