SCANDAL ENGULFS THE ROSSELLÓ ADMINISTRATION AS CALLS FOR RESIGNATION GROW LOUDER IN CONGRESS AND ON THE ISLAND

Despite a massive erosion of confidence caused by multiple scandals uncovered last week, and increasing calls for his resignation coming from constituents and lawmakers—both local and federal—Governor Ricardo Rosselló insists that he will not resign. “The work that is begun is not abandoned,” he declared in a written statement released on Sunday. 

Rosselló’s woes stem from two different scandals, both uncovered last week and both of which have resulted in the departure or arrest of individuals in the governor’s inner circle. The first scandal occurred when FBI agents made several arrests connected to an alleged corruption scheme where more than $15 million in federal funds were diverted to benefit particular contractors, including some who were then granted decision-making powers within the Puerto Rico Health Insurance Agency (PRHIA). Among the six alleged conspirators who were arrested were former Secretary of Education Julia Keleher and former PRHIA Director Ángela Ávila. After news of this scandal broke, Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and one of the lawmakers most involved in federal legislative policy affecting Puerto Rico, became the first member of Congress to publicly call for Rosselló’s resignation. 

The second scandal, which broke out shortly thereafter, involved a leaked Telegram group chat that included Governor Rosselló and several other members of his administration, which was revealed to contain multiple misogynistic and homophobic comments aimed at members of both the public and the government. The contents of the 889-page chat are now publicly available, and also include what some consider to be potential ethics rules violations, including alleged sharing of privileged communication. 

After news of the group chat’s contents broke out, several of its participants resigned from their official positions, including Luis G. Rivera Marín, Puerto Rico’s Secretary of State (and consequently the next person in the line of succession after the governor) and Christian Sobrino, who occupied six different positions within the Puerto Rican government: Chief Financial Officer, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority (AAFAF, in Spanish), official government representative before the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB), acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget, member of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA)’s board, and Chief Advisor to the governor in economic affairs. He took on at least two of these roles after his predecessor in both positions, former Treasury Secretary Raúl Maldonado, was fired by the governor last month. Despite their announcements, however, both Rivera Marín and Sobrino are currently slated to remain in their positions in a “transition period” until the end of the month.

Additional government members who took part in the chat, aside from Rosselló, Rivera Marín, and Sobrino, were government communications strategist Rafael Cerame, Rosselló’s former legal advisor Alfonso Orona, Chief of Staff Ricardo Llerandi, former Public Affairs Secretary Ramón Rosario for Rosselló’s Administration, publicist Edwin Miranda and consultant Elias Sanchéz, who is known for his close ties to the governor. 

CONGRESS LOOKS INTO SETTING ADDITIONAL CONTROL ON FUNDS ASSIGNED TO PUERTO RICO

The U.S. House and Senate are planning to impose additional controls on $12 billion in Medicaid funds set to be assigned to the Island. 

Last Thursday, House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Greg Walden (R-OR) indicated that they would sit down and negotiate additional language for a bill that would include funds to the Medicaid program in Puerto Rico before putting it to a vote in the committee. Details about what these new controls would entail have not yet been provided but are expected to be included in the Committee markup scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Since then, other lawmakers have announced their support for additional control measures, including Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), who indicated that these measures should come about without sacrificing the actual aid or harming the Puerto Rican people; others include Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL). 

The Medicaid funds in question are necessary to prevent a healthcare fiscal cliff which could leave some 600,000 people without medical care. 

WHO COULD BE PUERTO RICO’S NEXT GOVERNOR? 

Growing protests and increasingly frequent calls for the governor’s departure or impeachment have raised the question as to who would take over if the Governor is forced down. 

While the Governor’s next move is still unknown, four names have emerged as potential candidates for his replacement: Bayamón Mayor Ramón Luis Rivera, former San Juan mayoral candidate Leo Díaz, San Sebastián Mayor Javier Jiménez and former Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi. 

No candidate, if selected, could immediately replace Rosselló, who may be facing impeachment if he insists on holding onto power. Under normal circumstances, the constitution of Puerto Rico allows for the Secretary of State to fill the position of the governor—however, the current Secretary of State has resigned effective this month. The next in line for the governorship would be the Secretary of Justice Wanda Vásquez, who has faced her own abuse of power scandals and is said to be too close to the Rosselló administration to help quell the national fury.