Trump moves to pardon a former Puerto Rico governor, and the timing is raising serious questions

President Donald Trump is moving forward with a pardon for former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced and her co-defendants, according to a White House official. The decision marks a major development in a long-running federal case tied to Vázquez’s 2020 gubernatorial campaign.

The move gained traction after it was reported by Fox News, which cited administration officials characterizing the prosecution as politically motivated. The White House has framed the case as an example of improper political targeting rather than legitimate law enforcement.

The president’s defenders have pointed to the timing of the investigation as central to that argument, noting it began roughly 10 days after Vázquez publicly endorsed Trump during the 2020 election cycle. A White House official described the charges as a case of “political prosecution,” arguing the sequence of events undermines the credibility of the investigation.

The investigation’s timeline is central to the White House defense

According to the pardon materials, Vázquez maintains there was no quid pro quo arrangement connected to her campaign. Her filings argue that discussions with a banker focused on policy alignment with a potential donor rather than any exchange of official action for financial support.

Vázquez has also asserted that investigators monitored not only her campaign but the Trump campaign as well, a claim highlighted by the White House official. The administration has drawn on broader commentary about the president’s controversial actions, similar to how some recent coverage noted his sudden praise for Iran’s move toward cooperation despite concerns about unrest.

The president’s clemency will also extend to Vázquez’s co-defendants, Julio Martin Herrera-Velutini and Mark Rossini, a former FBI agent. All three were charged in connection with an alleged bribery scheme tied to Puerto Rico’s financial regulatory oversight.

Federal authorities arrested Vázquez in 2022, alleging the scheme ran from December 2019 through June 2020 while she was still serving as governor. Prosecutors claimed Herrera-Velutini sought favorable regulatory treatment for his bank, which was under scrutiny by Puerto Rico’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions for suspicious transactions.

According to the allegations, Herrera-Velutini and Rossini promised financial support for Vázquez’s 2020 campaign if she would remove the sitting financial institutions commissioner and appoint a replacement of their choosing. Prosecutors said she agreed in February 2020 and later appointed a former consultant from Herrera-Velutini’s bank, with more than $300,000 allegedly paid to political consultants to support her campaign.

Vázquez has consistently denied wrongdoing. She said at the time of her arrest, “I am innocent. I have not committed any crime. I assure you that they have committed a great injustice against me.”

The pardon has drawn criticism from Puerto Rico’s representative in Congress, Pablo José Hernández, who said it “undermines public integrity.” Hernández added that the decision “shatters faith in justice” and protects corruption, reflecting the sharp backlash surrounding the president’s latest use of clemency power.

The move follows a series of controversial pardons issued by Trump in 2025, including clemency for former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, former Representative George Santos, Todd and Julie Chrisley, and several January 6 defendants. These come amid other recent Trump administration headlines, including the administration’s removal of a college student from her flight.