Sit down for this one, but Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced is being accused of corruption by former Justice Sec. Dennise Longo Quinones:
BREAKING: Puerto Rico’s Governor is the subject of 2 investigations, says fmr Justice Secretary Dennise Longo Quinones. 1 involved disaster aid, the other, an anonymous complaint. The chief of staff is also under investigation; the Secretary of State isn’t https://t.co/V4W9xLFLCU
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) July 7, 2020
According to Quinones, she was asked to resign on Friday by the governor’s chief of staff after she signed the investigative referrals:
BREAKING: Puerto Rico’s fmr Justice Secretary Dennise Longo Quinones, says Friday she signed the investigative referrals – 2 of which involved the Governor – that would be sent to the special prosecutors office. That day, she says, the Governors chief of staff told her to resign. https://t.co/TPbLVUecN4
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) July 7, 2020
The governor has denied the charges:
BREAKING DETAILS: “Puerto Rico’s governor denied allegations of obstruction of justice late Monday as the main opposition party demanded she be investigated and hinted at a possible impeachment process,” reports @danicacoto. https://t.co/s1pTAxIXWC
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) July 7, 2020
And this morning, the governor said it’s actually the former justice secretary who is being investigated for Medicare fraud:
BREAKING: Puerto Rico's Governor is now going on the offensive alleging that her fmr. Secretary of Justice Dennise Longo Quinones tried to intervene in an investigation related to the dept of health (medical fraud from 2014 to 2019) where Quinones' mother worked.
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) July 7, 2020
The governor says she’s got evidence:
Puerto Rico's Governor brought papers to show why, she says, her justice secretary was fired.
*But why fire her on the SAME DAY the justice secretary signed investigative referrals, which the Governor was the subject of 2 of them, to be turned over to a special prosecutor?*— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) July 7, 2020
And she’s asked the new justice secretary to deliver the investigative referrals on the old justice secretary:
NOW: Puerto Rico’s Governor @wandavazquezg orders the acting secretary of @Justicia_PR , Wandymar Burgos, to deliver the investigative referrals to the special prosecutor “if it has merits & is in law."
Why is she qualifying w/ “if”?
If it’s not w/ merit it’ll be rejected, right? https://t.co/QR01Y0H83G— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) July 7, 2020
People still have questions:
Bottom line: Puerto Rico's Governor says her Justice Secretary was fired for intervening in a federal investigation involving the secretary's mother.
BUT: why was the Secretary fired the same day the Sec signed referrals against the Gov to be sent to an independent prosecutor?— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) July 7, 2020
And we’ll note the governor gave a different reason for asking for her resignation than she’s offered up today:
1.)3 days ago, Puerto Rico’s governor tweeted that insinuating the resignation of the fmr justice secretary was b/c of discord or disagreements over some investigation, or intervention in an investigation, was totally false
2.)Now, Gov says the JS intervened in a federal probe https://t.co/xQX3TEJIpJ— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) July 7, 2020
To be continued. . .
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