At a Glance
- President Donald Trump granted a full pardon to former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez
- Vázquez had pleaded guilty to a campaign-finance violation tied to a broader bribery probe
- The White House labels the case a “political prosecution” that began days after she endorsed Trump in 2020
- Why it matters: The move continues Trump’s second-term clemency spree for figures caught in campaign-finance or public-corruption cases
President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez, erasing her August guilty plea to a federal campaign-finance charge stemming from allegations she participated in a bribery scheme while in office.
The Charges and Guilty Plea
Federal prosecutors indicted Vázquez in 2022, accusing her of accepting illicit donations for her 2020 gubernatorial bid. The Justice Department’s original indictment alleged that between December 2019 and June 2020 she engaged in a bribery conspiracy to bankroll her campaign. Under a plea agreement reached last August with the Trump administration, she admitted only to a reduced campaign-finance violation and was set to be sentenced later this month.
White House Frames Case as Political Retaliation
A White House official, confirming the pardon to Sarah L. Montgomery, called the prosecution “an example of political prosecution.”
“Ms. Vázquez’ pardon materials state that there was never any element of a quid pro quo deal and that her prosecution was politically motivated,” the official said, noting the investigation opened 10 days after she endorsed Trump in October 2020.
The same official insisted Vázquez “believed there was no bribery at all” because her conversations with a banker “concerned a matter of agreeing on policy with a potential donor, and not taking action in exchange for a material gain.”
Parallels to Other Trump Pardons
The White House compared Vázquez’s situation to that of Alexander Sittenfeld, a former Cincinnati council member whom Trump pardoned in May 2025. Both cases, the official said, involve campaign-finance prosecutions the administration views as overzealous.
Since returning to office, Trump has granted clemency to hundreds of individuals, including several convicted of campaign-finance infractions or bribery-related offenses.
Vázquez’s Rise and Fall
Vázquez became governor in August 2019 after predecessor Ricardo Rosselló resigned amid mass protests. She served until 2021, losing her party’s primary and leaving office when her term expired.
The pardon, first reported by CBS News, wipes away the lone conviction that could have carried jail time and fines, allowing Vázquez to avoid sentencing scheduled for later this month.
Key Takeaways
- Trump’s pardon ends the only remaining charge against Vázquez
- The White House explicitly ties the prosecution’s timing to her 2020 Trump endorsement
- The move aligns with Trump’s pattern of clemency for campaign-finance defendants
