Trump Set to Pardon Puerto Rico Governor Amid 'Political Prosecution' Allegations
Former Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez Garced, who was indicted on federal corruption charges in 2022, is expected to receive a pardon from Donald Trump. According to reports, the pardon will also cover her co-defendants, Julio Martín Herrera Velutini and Mark Rossini.
The White House has confirmed that Vázquez's pardon materials claim there was no quid pro quo deal and that her prosecution was politically motivated. The defense team which negotiated the plea deal with the government includes longtime Trump ally Chris Kise.
Vázquez served as governor of Puerto Rico from 2019 to 2021 and endorsed Trump's re-election bid in 2020. She and her co-defendants pleaded guilty to lesser corruption charges in August, after initially being charged with conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and honest-services wire fraud by the US justice department.
The investigation into Vázquez began just 10 days after she endorsed Trump in 2020, according to a White House official. The official stated that the investigation not only monitored her campaign but also included monitoring of the Trump campaign.
This pardon is part of an expansive clemency campaign pursued by Trump since retaking office in early 2025. Those pardoned include over 1,500 individuals connected to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, a former Tennessee Republican convicted on federal public corruption charges, and a cryptocurrency billionaire with ties to the Trump family's crypto business.
The move has been widely criticized, with many seeing it as an attempt by Trump to shield his allies from accountability. The pardon comes at a time when Vázquez was facing trial for her alleged role in exchanging financial support for a favorable banking commissioner appointment in 2019.
Former Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez Garced, who was indicted on federal corruption charges in 2022, is expected to receive a pardon from Donald Trump. According to reports, the pardon will also cover her co-defendants, Julio Martín Herrera Velutini and Mark Rossini.
The White House has confirmed that Vázquez's pardon materials claim there was no quid pro quo deal and that her prosecution was politically motivated. The defense team which negotiated the plea deal with the government includes longtime Trump ally Chris Kise.
Vázquez served as governor of Puerto Rico from 2019 to 2021 and endorsed Trump's re-election bid in 2020. She and her co-defendants pleaded guilty to lesser corruption charges in August, after initially being charged with conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and honest-services wire fraud by the US justice department.
The investigation into Vázquez began just 10 days after she endorsed Trump in 2020, according to a White House official. The official stated that the investigation not only monitored her campaign but also included monitoring of the Trump campaign.
This pardon is part of an expansive clemency campaign pursued by Trump since retaking office in early 2025. Those pardoned include over 1,500 individuals connected to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, a former Tennessee Republican convicted on federal public corruption charges, and a cryptocurrency billionaire with ties to the Trump family's crypto business.
The move has been widely criticized, with many seeing it as an attempt by Trump to shield his allies from accountability. The pardon comes at a time when Vázquez was facing trial for her alleged role in exchanging financial support for a favorable banking commissioner appointment in 2019.
the pardon thingy is super shady lol i dont get why trump would do this tho like whats in it for him? he cant just go around pardoning anyone and expect no one to notice 
its like hes trying to buy his way out of accountability or something idk man, justice should be served not so much about who's friends with whom
. Like, come on, a pardon doesn't necessarily mean no wrongdoing happened. It just means he's using his executive powers to let his buddies off the hook. And who gets pardoned? A bunch of his old pals from back in the day... what about accountability for actual crimes 
? I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that she endorsed him in 2020 and was investigated just days later 
. This whole thing reeks of a cover-up if you ask me 
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! Like seriously, who gets pardoned after pleading guilty? I mean Wanda Vázquez Garced already admitted to corruption charges so what's the point of a pardon? It just looks like more nepotism from Trump 
. And can we talk about how this whole investigation seems fishy too? Like, the fact that it started right after she endorsed him is suspicious 
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. And what about all these other people who've been pardoned? It feels like a big ol' PR stunt to me 
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. And who knows, maybe it'll even bring some positive change! 
Give the guy some credit for seeing it through...
... yeah right, sounds like a pretty convenient excuse to me 
. i'm not buying it 
, like what's the point of having a justice system if you're just gonna wipe out all the guilty ones? 
. I mean, come on, we're living in a world where the former president thinks he can just pardon his buddies and get away with it? Like, what's next? Pardoning his personal accountant for tax evasion or something 
. It's all very suspicious to me. The fact that they claim there was no quid pro quo deal just reeks of BS. And don't even get me started on the timing – right when Vázquez was about to face trial for corruption charges, Trump swoops in and saves her bacon 
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This pardon is just another example of how some people think they're above the law. It's like Trump is trying to cover his own tracks and protect his friends from accountability. I don't think it's right that he's using his power to shield those who wronged others, but at the same time...