President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to grant full pardons to former Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez Garced and two co-defendants, multiple sources told CBS News on Jan. 16, 2026. The trio pleaded guilty to reduced corruption charges in August 2025 after a 2022 indictment alleging conspiracy, federal programs bribery and honest-services wire fraud tied to Vázquez’s 2020 campaign. Among the men set to receive clemency are financier Julio Martín Herrera Velutini and former FBI official Mark Rossini. The White House has not issued a formal proclamation, and a White House official said the timing for public announcement remains pending.
Key Takeaways
- Sources told CBS News on Jan. 16, 2026, that President Trump plans pardons for Wanda Vázquez Garced and two co-defendants tied to a 2020 campaign bribery scheme.
- All three were charged by prosecutors in 2022 and pleaded guilty to lesser offenses in August 2025 as the trial neared.
- Julio Martín Herrera Velutini’s daughter, Isabel Herrera, gave $2.5 million in December 2024 and $1 million in July 2025 to MAGA Inc., according to public records.
- Defense attorney Chris Kise, who represented Herrera Velutini and previously defended Trump on separate federal matters, helped negotiate the plea arrangements.
- The Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section — which brought the original case — was largely dismantled in 2025, reducing its role in politically sensitive prosecutions.
- U.S. District Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll publicly questioned the department’s last-minute decision to permit pleas to lesser misdemeanors, highlighting the difference in sentencing exposure.
- Trump’s expected pardons follow a broader pattern of clemency for defendants once or currently pursued by the Public Integrity Section.
Background
The investigation into Vázquez began in 2020, shortly after she endorsed Donald Trump during the 2020 election cycle. Federal prosecutors in the District of Puerto Rico and the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section brought charges in 2022 alleging a bribery scheme connected to Vázquez’s 2020 campaign. The Public Integrity Section, created after Watergate to handle politically sensitive cases, had been a primary litigant in that prosecution.
By mid-2025 the case was heading toward trial, but prosecutors abruptly negotiated plea deals in August 2025 that reduced the most serious counts to lesser corruption offenses. That shift occurred amid the Justice Department’s internal reorganization, which in 2025 moved most Public Integrity Section prosecutors to other roles and curtailed its coordination with U.S. attorney offices. Critics and supporters have framed the developments differently: some cite prosecutorial discretion, while others see political influence.
Main Event
On Jan. 16, 2026, multiple sources briefed CBS News that President Trump intends to issue full pardons for Vázquez, Herrera Velutini and Mark Rossini. The planned clemencies, if issued, would erase federal convictions that followed the August 2025 plea agreements. A White House official, speaking anonymously because a formal announcement had not been made, said the pardon paperwork cites claims that the prosecutions were politically motivated.
Herrera Velutini’s attorney, Chris Kise, told CBS News that his client was “profoundly grateful” to President Trump for the pardon and intends to move forward with his family and business. Kise was among the defense lawyers who, sources said, engaged directly with senior Justice Department officials as the trial approached to seek reduced charges or dismissal.
Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll signaled frustration when prosecutors sought to pare down the charges in 2025, noting the stark contrast between potential prison exposure under the original indictment and the relatively light penalties attached to the misdemeanor electoral-count offenses. Still, the judge observed that the government has broad discretion in how it pursues criminal charges.
Analysis & Implications
If the pardons are issued, they will underline how presidential clemency can nullify long, high-profile corruption prosecutions and reshape accountability in politically charged cases. The move would follow several other pardons and commutations by Trump for figures previously targeted by the Public Integrity Section, signaling a broader executive-level rollback of convictions that arose from politically sensitive investigations.
Domestically, the decision could complicate Puerto Rico’s political landscape by removing legal penalties from a former governor whose prosecution was tied to electoral activity. It may also influence public perceptions of the justice system’s independence when prosecutorial choices and later executive clemency intersect in high-profile political cases.
Internationally, pardoning a wealthy cross-border financier such as Herrera Velutini could draw scrutiny from regulators and lenders in countries where he operates, particularly given his Venezuelan-Italian background and holdings. Financial institutions and compliance departments typically reassess counterparty risk after high-profile legal developments, adding reputational and operational implications beyond U.S. jurisdiction.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Original Charge/Exposure | Post-Plea Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Vázquez & co-defendants (2022) | Conspiracy, federal programs bribery, honest-services wire fraud | Pleas to reduced corruption/misdemeanor charges (Aug 2025) |
| Political donations noted | Isabel Herrera: $2.5M (Dec 2024), $1M (Jul 2025) | Funds reported to MAGA Inc. (public records) |
This table contrasts the severity of the 2022 indictment with the later disposition that materially reduced sentencing exposure after August 2025 plea agreements. The donations recorded in public filings have become a focal point for critics who question the proximity of large political contributions to subsequent executive clemency.
Reactions & Quotes
The White House description of the pardon materials frames the prosecutions as politically motivated and denies a quid-pro-quo arrangement, according to an official familiar with the paperwork.
“Mr. Herrera Velutini is profoundly grateful to President Donald J. Trump for bestowing the grace of his benevolent pardon and looks forward to moving on with his life and dedicating his time to his family and career.”
Attorney Chris Kise (statement to CBS News)
U.S. District Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll expressed public concern in a court filing when prosecutors moved to drop the most serious charges and accept misdemeanor pleas, underlining the disparity in sentencing exposure.
“The penalty for violating Section 30121 of the FECA is a mere slap on the wrist when compared to the sentencing exposure the defendants faced if convicted of the conduct charged in the Indictment.”
U.S. District Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll (court filing)
Unconfirmed
- No formal White House proclamation had been released publicly as of Jan. 16, 2026; sources described the plan but the timing and scope of any official order remain unannounced.
- The White House official’s assertion that donations had no bearing on the pardon is presented by the administration; a direct documentary link between contributions and clemency has not been independently verified.
- Any international regulatory follow-up or civil litigation tied to Herrera Velutini’s businesses after a potential pardon is speculative and not confirmed.
Bottom Line
The reported intent to pardon Wanda Vázquez and two co-defendants would close a politically sensitive chapter that began with a 2022 indictment and ended with plea deals in August 2025. The move highlights how executive clemency can countermand prolonged federal prosecutions and reshape accountability for public officials and their associates.
Beyond the individual cases, the expected pardons underscore tensions between prosecutorial discretion, judicial oversight and presidential power. Observers should watch for the formal White House document to confirm the pardons and for any ensuing legal or regulatory responses domestically and abroad.
Sources
- CBS News — media report (Jan. 16, 2026)