Former US President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to grant a pardon to Wanda Vázquez Garced, the former governor of Puerto Rico, who was indicted on federal corruption charges in 2022. The move follows claims from the White House that her prosecution was politically motivated.
The Case and the Plea Deal
Vázquez, who served as governor from 2019 to 2021, was charged alongside two co-defendants: Julio Martín Herrera Velutini, founder of Britannia Financial Group, and Mark Rossini, a former FBI agent. The initial 2022 indictment from the US Justice Department's public integrity section alleged conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and honest-services wire fraud.
The charges stemmed from an alleged scheme in 2019 where Herrera and Rossini promised financial support for Vázquez's gubernatorial campaign. In return, she was expected to replace Puerto Rico's banking commissioner, who was scrutinising Herrera's bank, with a more favourable appointee. Over $300,000 was allegedly paid to political consultants backing her campaign.
However, as the case neared trial in August, the defendants accepted a plea deal to lesser corruption charges. Vázquez had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing following her arrest.
Political Connections and Trump's Endorsement
The case has significant political undertones. Wanda Vázquez Garced endorsed Donald Trump's re-election bid in 2020. A White House official stated that the investigation into her began just ten days after that endorsement, contending it monitored both her and the Trump campaign.
Financial links to Trump's political machinery are also evident. Herrera's daughter donated $2.5 million to Maga Inc, a Trump-aligned Super PAC, with a further $1 million donation reported in July last year. Furthermore, Chris Kise, a longtime Trump ally who has represented the president, was part of the defence team that negotiated the plea deal.
Trump's Expansive Clemency Campaign
Since retaking office in early 2025, President Trump has pursued a wide-ranging clemency campaign. Those pardoned include:
- More than 1,500 individuals connected to the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack.
- A former Tennessee Republican convicted on federal public corruption charges.
- An ex-New York police sergeant guilty of assisting China in intimidating an expatriate.
- A cryptocurrency billionaire with ties to the Trump family's crypto business.
The planned pardon for Vázquez and her co-defendants, first reported by CBS, fits this pattern of granting clemency to political and business allies. The White House maintains the prosecution was a "political prosecution" and insists there was "never any element of a quid pro quo deal."
