President Trump is set to issue a new pardon for former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez. White House officials have confirmed that the president will pardon Vazquez and her co-defendants following their indictment by the Biden administration on bribery charges linked to her 2020 gubernatorial campaign.
According to sources, the investigation into Vazquez began 10 days after she endorsed President Trump in 2020. A White House official stated that the case represents “political prosecution,” emphasizing that Vazquez’s pardon materials assert there was no quid pro quo arrangement and that her prosecution was politically motivated.
Vazquez faced arrest in 2022 on bribery allegations tied to campaign financing from December 2019 through June 2020. Prosecutors later reached a plea deal with Vazquez and two co-defendants, allowing them to avoid prison time on misdemeanor charges of unlawful campaign contributions. The defense team argued the settlement resulted from weaknesses in the government’s case, while prosecutors maintained they would proceed with felony allegations if necessary.
This pardon follows Trump’s earlier decision to pardon Rep. Henry Cuellar after he was indicted on similar bribery charges.