"Vazquez accepted a plea deal in 2025 after she was accused of participating in a bribery scheme while in office. The White House has confirmed to United States media that President Donald Trump plans to grant a pardon to a former governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vazquez Garced. On Friday, CBS News broke the story that a pardon was imminent, and Trump administration officials have since tied the pardon to the president's campaign against what he considers lawfare."
"This entire case is an example of political persecution, a Trump official told the news agency Reuters, on condition of anonymity. Trump has pardoned a string of right-wing officials and allies since returning to office for a second term, including former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez who was convicted of federal drug charges and supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, to protest his 2020 election defeat."
"Impunity protects and promotes corruption, Hernandez wrote on social media. The pardon granted to former governor Wanda Vazquez weakens public integrity, erodes trust in the justice system, and offends those of us who believe in honest government. Puerto Rico, as a territory, only has non-voting representation in the US Congress, and Trump has had a tumultuous relationship with the island."
President Donald Trump plans to pardon former Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez Garced, who accepted a plea deal in 2025 after accusations of participating in a bribery scheme while in office. The White House confirmed the pardon and CBS News reported it as imminent, with administration officials connecting the pardon to Trump’s campaign against what he calls lawfare. A Trump official characterized the case as political persecution. The decision follows numerous pardons of right-wing allies, including a convicted former Honduran president and January 6 supporters, and has prompted Puerto Rican leaders to warn that the pardon promotes impunity and weakens public integrity.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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