Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez pleads guilty to campaign finance violation

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez pleaded guilty Wednesday to a campaign finance violation in a federal case that authorities say also involved a former FBI agent and a Venezuelan banker.

Vázquez, an attorney, became the U.S. territory’s first former governor to plead guilty to a crime, specifically accepting a donation from a foreigner for her 2020 political campaign. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 15.

As she left the courthouse, Vázquez told reporters that she had confided “in people around her…who didn’t do their job” and accepted a donation pledge on behalf of the banker.

“They forgot to ask him for his green card,” she said, without identifying who exactly was responsible. “These are situations that happen.”

Vázquez noted that a pledge was made but no donation received. “There was no bribery here,” she said. “I didn’t take a single cent.”

Vázquez was arrested in 2022 and initially accused of participating in a bribery scheme between December 2019 and June 2020 while governor.

The U. S. Department of Justice said Vázquez agreed to dismiss the head of Puerto Rico’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions in exchange for financial support toward her 2020 campaign for governor. During that time, the office was probing a bank owned by Venezuelan Julio Herrera Velutini following suspicious transactions, according to authorities.

Justice officials said that Herrera Velutini and Mark Rossini, a former FBI agent who provided consulting services to him, allegedly paid more than $300,000 to political consultants to support Vázquez’s campaign after she demanded the commissioner’s resignation and appointed a former consultant from Herrera Velutini's bank to that position.

In August 2020, Vázquez lost the primary of the New Progressive Party to Pedro Pierluisi, who was later elected as governor.

Federal authorities initially charged Vázquez and the other two suspects with conspiracy, federal programs bribery and honest services wire fraud. If found guilty, they could have faced up to 20 years in prison.

The charges were reduced earlier this year to a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act, which calls for up to a year in prison.

Herrera Velutini and Rossini also pleaded guilty Wednesday in that case and are scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10. They did not speak to reporters.

As Vázquez prepared to enter the federal courthouse in the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan, she told reporters that the last three years have been “terrible,” adding that the accusations against her were untrue.

She was accompanied by her attorney, Ignacio Fernández, who said Vázquez “feels vindicated” with the new charge.

The guilty plea entered Wednesday avoided a trial scheduled to start in late August.

Judge Silvia L. Carreño Coll had previously criticized the deal, describing the new charge as a slap on the hand compared with the original charges.

Two other defendants have pleaded guilty in the case.

Former FBI agent Mark Rossini arrives at the federal courthouse in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini arrives at the federal courthouse in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez, center, leaves the federal courthouse with her legal team in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez undergoes a security screening as she enters the federal courthouse in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez arrives at the federal courthouse in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)

FILE - Governor Wanda Vazquez gives a press conference to announce the extension of the COVID-19 curfew, while detailing the new sectors of the country that may resume operations, as part of a new executive order in San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, file)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — John Marino scored at 4:03 of the third period to break a tie and give the Utah Mammoth a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

Marino also assisted on Nick Schmaltz's 17th goal of the season and Karel Vejmelka made 26 stops as the Mammoth won for the fifth time in six games.

Mikko Rantanen scored and Jake Oettinger had 25 saves for Dallas, which has lost nine of its last 11 games.

Schmaltz broke a scoreless deadlock with 7 seconds left in the second period, tipping in a feed from Marino. It was the fourth latest goal in any regulation period in Utah's short franchise history.

The Mammoth nearly made it 2-0 just 38 seconds into the third, but Lawson Crouse had his goal wiped off the board for high-sticking.

Rantanen leveled the score with a power-play goal at the 2:04 of the third.

Marino answered two minutes later, snapping the puck home from long distance to put the Mammoth up 2-1 with his second winning goal of the season.

Utah improved to 16-1-1 this season when leading after two periods.

Stars: host Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Mammoth: host Seattle on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Dallas Stars defenseman Kyle Capobianco, right, moves the puck against Utah Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley (55) shoots the puck against Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston, right, moves the puck against Utah Mammoth left wing Lawson Crouse during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson, center left, fights for the puck against Utah Mammoth defenseman John Marino (6) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)