San Juan, Puerto Rico / Washington, D.C. – Former Puerto Rican Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced is set to receive a pardon from US President Donald Trump, following her 2025 plea deal in a federal bribery case.
The White House confirmed to US media outlets that the pardon was imminent. CBS News first reported the story on Friday, with Trump administration officials linking the decision to the president’s ongoing campaign against what he calls “lawfare” targeting conservatives.
“This entire case is an example of political persecution,” an anonymous Trump official told Reuters.
Background on Wanda Vázquez
- Political Career: Vázquez, a member of the New Progressive Party, which advocates for Puerto Rican statehood, served as governor from 2019 to 2021 after Ricardo Rosselló resigned amid protests.
- Arrest and Charges: In 2022, the US Justice Department accused Vázquez of engaging in corruption while in office, alleging that she promised to fire a financial commissioner in exchange for campaign contributions.
- Plea Deal: Vázquez initially denied wrongdoing but accepted a plea deal in August 2025, making her the first former Puerto Rican governor to face federal charges.
The case involved payments of $300,000 from Venezuelan financier Julio Martin Herrera Velutini and former FBI agent Mark Rossini to political consultants to support Vázquez’s 2020 gubernatorial campaign. Prosecutors claimed she agreed to call for the commissioner’s resignation and ultimately hired a Herrera Velutini associate to replace the official. Vázquez lost the primary election despite the alleged scheme.
Trump’s Pardon Record
Since returning to office for a second term, Trump has granted over 1,700 pardons and acts of clemency, targeting right-wing allies, supporters involved in the January 6 Capitol protest, and foreign leaders like former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández.
- This pace is on track to surpass the total number of clemencies granted by President Joe Biden, who issued 4,245 acts during his single term, the highest in modern US history.
- Trump often frames these pardons as a defense against political persecution, calling attention to what he sees as a biased justice system against conservatives.
Reactions in Puerto Rico
The pardon has sparked criticism among Puerto Rican political figures.
- Pablo José Hernández Rivera, a non-voting representative of Puerto Rico in the US House, said:
“Impunity protects and promotes corruption. The pardon granted to former governor Wanda Vázquez weakens public integrity, erodes trust in the justice system, and offends those of us who believe in honest government.”
Trump’s relationship with Puerto Rico has been contentious. During his 2024 re-election campaign, he removed the island’s Democratic members from the federal control board overseeing finances and faced backlash for comments made by a supporter calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”
Summary
- Wanda Vázquez Garced: Former Puerto Rican governor, Republican, and New Progressive Party member.
- Charges: Bribery and corruption while in office (2019–2020).
- Plea Deal: Accepted in 2025, becoming the first former Puerto Rican governor charged federally.
- Pardon: Expected to be granted by President Donald Trump as part of his second-term clemency campaign.
- Political Context: Sparks debate over public integrity and US-Puerto Rico relations.
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