Donald Trump reportedly intends to pardon Puerto Rico’s former governor Wanda Vázquez Garced, who was indicted in 2022 on federal corruption charges surrounding her earlier gubernatorial campaign.
In addition to Vázquez, Trump plans to pardon her co-defendants including Julio Martín Herrera Velutini, founder of Britannia Financial Group; as well as Mark Rossini, a former FBI agent who served as a consultant for Herrera, according to CBS, which first reported the development on Friday.
A White House official told the outlet: “Ms Vazquez’s pardon materials state that there was never any element of a quid pro quo deal and that her prosecution was politically motivated.”
Vázquez, who served as governor of Puerto from 2019 to 2021, endorsed Trump’s re-election bid in 2020.
She, Herrera and Rossini pleaded guilty in August to lesser corruption charges after initially being charged in 2022 with conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and honest-services wire fraud by the US justice department’s public integrity section, which has since been largely dismantled.
Herrera and Rossini allegedly promised financial support in 2019 for Vázquez’s campaign if she replaced Puerto Rico’s banking commissioner, whose office was scrutinising Herrera’s bank for suspicious transactions, with a more favorable appointee. More than $300,000 was allegedly paid to political consultants backing Vázquez’s campaign, the Associated Press reported.
After Vázquez’s arrest in 2022, she repeatedly denied wrongdoing. However, as the case neared trial, the justice department swiftly reached a plea deal with the defendants. Herrera’s daughter, meanwhile, donated $2.5m to Maga Inc – a Trump-aligned Super Pac.
The defense team which helped negotiate the plea deal also included Chris Kise, a longtime Trump ally who has previously represented the president.
Herrera’s daughter made another $1m donation to Maga Inc last July, the New York Times reported.
In a statement to the Guardian on Friday, a White House official said: “This entire case is an example of political prosecution … Ms Vazquez’ pardon materials state that there was never any element of a quid pro quo deal and that her prosecution was politically motivated.
“The investigation into Ms Vazquez began 10 days after she endorsed President Trump in 2020. The investigation, she contends, not only monitored her campaign, but also included a monitoring of the Trump campaign.”
Since retaking office in early 2025, Trump has pursued an expansive clemency campaign, issuing pardons to a wide range of business and political allies.
Those pardoned include more than 1,500 individuals connected to the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack carried out by Trump’s supporters; a former Tennessee Republican convicted on federal public corruption charges; an ex-New York police sergeant found guilty of assisting China in efforts to intimidate a Chinese expatriate; and a cryptocurrency billionaire with ties to the Trump family’s crypto business.
