Governor Wanda Vzquez speaks at a press conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti, File)2026-01-16T17:44:04Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump plans to pardon former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vzquez, a White House official said Friday.Vzquez pleaded guilty last August to a campaign finance violation in a federal case that authorities say also involved a former FBI agent and a Venezuelan banker. Her sentencing was set for later this month.Federal prosecutors had been seeking one year behind bars, something that Vzquezs attorneys opposed as they accused prosecutors of violating a guilty plea deal reached last year that saw previous charges including bribery and fraud dropped.They noted that Vzquez had agreed to plead guilty to accepting a promise of a campaign contribution that was never received.Attorneys for Vzquez did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The official who confirmed the planned pardon indicated Trump saw the case as political prosecution and said the investigation into Vzquez, a Republican aligned with the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, had begun 10 days after she endorsed Trump in 2020. The official wasnt authorized to reveal the news by name and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Vzquez, an attorney, was the U.S. territorys first former governor to plead guilty to a crime, specifically accepting a donation from a foreigner for her 2020 political campaign. She was arrested in August 2022 and accused of engaging in a bribery scheme from December 2019 through June 2020 while governor. At the time, she told reporters that she was innocent. Authorities said that Puerto Ricos Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions was investigating an international bank owned by Venezuelan Julio Martn Herrera Velutini because of alleged suspicious transactions that had not been reported by the bank.Authorities said Herrera and Mark Rossini, a former FBI agent who provided consulting services to Herrera, allegedly promised to support Vzquezs campaign if she dismissed the commissioner and appointing a new one of Herreras choosing. Authorities said Vzquez demanded the commissioners resignation in February 2020 after allegedly accepting the bribery offer. She also was accused of appointing a new commissioner in May 2020: a former consultant for Herreras bank. Vzquez was the second woman to serve as Puerto Ricos governor and the first former governor to face federal charges.She was sworn in as governor in August 2019 after former Gov. Ricardo Rossell resigned following massive protests. Vzquez served until 2021, after losing the primaries of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party to former Gov. Pedro Pierluisi.___Associated Press reporter Dnica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico contributed. DARLENE SUPERVILLE Superville covers the White House for The Associated Press, with a special emphasis on first ladies and first families. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site