Trump to pardon former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced

President Donald Trump will pardon former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced and her co-defendants, Fox Information has discovered.

“This complete case is an instance of political persecution. In August 2022, Wanda Vazquez confronted bribery costs associated to the financing of her 2020 gubernatorial marketing campaign. Ms. Vazquez’s pardon supplies state that there was by no means a quid professional quo settlement and that her prosecution was politically motivated. The investigation into Ms. Vazquez started 10 days after she endorsed President Trump in 2020,” a White Home official mentioned. advised Fox Information.

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Then-Governor of Puerto Rico Wanda Vazquez Garced speaks throughout a press convention to announce strict new guidelines for all passengers flying to Puerto Rico to curb coronavirus instances in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on June 30, 2020. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)

The White Home official additionally advised Fox Information that Trump will pardon Vázquez’s co-defendants, Julio Martin Herrera-Velutini and Mark Rossini, a former FBI agent.

“The investigation, she claims, not solely included surveillance of her marketing campaign, but additionally included monitoring of the Trump marketing campaign. Furthermore, Ms. Vazquez believes there was no bribery in any respect as a result of the conversations with the banker concerned a matter of agreeing on coverage with a possible donor, and never taking motion in alternate for materials achieve. This case is similar to that of Alexander Sittenfeld, who was pardoned in Might 2025,” the official added.

In 2022, Vázquez was arrested on bribery costs associated to her 2020 marketing campaign. She was accused of bribery between December 2019 and June 2020. The Associated Press. The newspaper famous on the time that Vázquez was serving as governor when the alleged scheme unfolded.

Former Governor of Puerto Rico Wanda Vazquez leaves court docket after her look on federal bribery costs in San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 4, 2022. (Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters)

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“I’m harmless. I’ve not dedicated any crime,” she advised reporters on the time, in accordance with the AP. “I guarantee you they’ve performed me an amazing injustice.”

In 2019, Herrera’s financial institution got here underneath scrutiny by the Puerto Rico Workplace of the Commissioner of Monetary Establishments, which reportedly believed there have been suspicious transactions that weren’t reported by the financial institution, in accordance with the AP. Herrera and Rossini reportedly pledged to assist Vázquez’s 2020 marketing campaign in alternate for the commissioner’s resignation and the appointment of a brand new one, the AP reported on the time, citing unspecified authorities.

Puerto Rico’s then-governor reportedly accepted the bribe provide in February 2020 and reportedly appointed a former adviser to Herrera’s financial institution to fill the function, the AP reported. The newspaper mentioned officers alleged Herrera and Rossini paid greater than $300,000 to political consultants to assist Vázquez’s marketing campaign.

President Donald Trump throughout a Mexican Border Protection Medal Ceremony within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, DC, on Monday, December 15, 2025. (Bonnie Money/UPI/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures)

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In 2025, Trump granted a slew of controversial pardons, together with January 6 defendants former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, former Rep. George Santos, Tim Leiweke, former President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez and actuality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley.

This can be a improvement story. Verify again later for updates.

The Related Press contributed to this report.