“They say a lot of false things and some insulting things. I have said many times that I had nothing to do with the events that led to Mr. Fuentes’ conviction.”
This was the response of Governor Pedro Pierluzzi on Tuesday when he questioned the information provided by his friend’s lawyer. Joseph Fuentes FernandezHe is accused of federal corruption for choosing to “set himself on fire” rather than reveal everything he knew about Save Puerto Rico, the super political action committee that raised money for the president’s 2020 campaign.
Again, from Pierluisi Super PAC and Mr. Joaquín Monserrate Matienzo – Fuentes Fernández’s lawyer – distanced himself by stating that there was no coordination with his campaign team led by his sister Caridad Pierluisi.
“That PAC is an independent entity. He (Fuentes Fernández) made serious mistakes. He committed a crime. Now he’s going to lose his freedom as a result of that action, but obviously I had nothing to do with it,” Pierluzzi said.
“Obviously there’s a friendship, and I’m saddened by what’s happening to him and his wife, his children, the people I know. But – as I said – what’s already been proven here is that there is no impunity in Puerto Rico. Whoever it is, whether it’s the federal government, whether it’s state officials. “However. We are seeing all these corruption cases that we have seen in recent times,” he added.
Fuentes Fernández was sentenced to a week One year and two months in prison and three years of supervised release By a federal judge Joseph LaPlanta.
After Fuentes Fernández was convicted of creating the Super PAC, Save Puerto Rico, for not reporting its collections to the Federal Election Commission, Mr. Monserrate Matienzo revealed In an interview with Primera Hora newspaper His client “set himself on fire” to avoid harming the chief executive and others.
Montserrat Matienzo confirmed that Fuentes Fernandez created the Super PAC at Pierluzzi’s request.
Likewise, the lawyer asserted that Fuentes Fernández implicitly refused to register Pierluisi, who had been his friend since they were university students.
Asked if Fuentes Fernández had stopped being his friend, Pierluisi replied in the negative.
“Never. Friendship will continue and endure. We’re human beings. He made a grave mistake. He’s going to pay by losing his freedom and losing his CPA license, so, once again, it’s better for everyone to realize there’s no punishment here,” He reiterated that.
Regarding the public revelations by Fuentes Fernández’s lawyer, Pierluisi downplayed it.
“A lawyer who made that disclosure, but not. At least. Again, I have nothing to do with the details of that investigation. I don’t know them. I’ve never…been under federal or state investigation in my public life. Never,” he ruled.
“In politics, there are attacks that try to generalize and damage one’s reputation, but I have a very clear conscience in this matter. I have said it a thousand times,” he said.
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