Ex-governor Rosselló cannot lobby for Puerto Rico statehood in Washington – court

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – San Juan District Court Judge Rebecca de León ruled Wednesday that former Governor Ricardo Rosselló does not meet the legal requirements to occupy the lobbyist post in favor of Puerto Rico’s statehood in the U.S. before Congress in Washington.

De León released a ruling, which may be appealed, stating that it is not credible that Rosselló was unaware of his dual electoral registration in Puerto Rico and Virginia.

“We decide that the defendant Ricardo A. Rosselló Nevares did not comply with the residency or electoral domicile requirements established in Article 8 of Law 167-2020 at the time he was elected as a deputy by direct nomination, so that his election was tainted with nullity, was “invalid” and had no legal effect,” the ruling states.

De León clarified that she does not believe his alleged ignorance about the double electoral registry after having listened to the defendant. She said that the defendant’s actions contradict his testimony, which she cataloged as “evasive, vacillating and mendacious”.

PARTY WILL APPEAL THE DECISION

Despite the judge’s decision, New Progressive Party (NPP) attorney Ramon Rosario said they would appeal.

“In total disagreement with the decision, not only in fact but in law, and both the NPP commissioner – Vanessa Santo Domingo – and the party president – Pedro Pierluisi – have asked us to request the revocation,” the lawyer said.

The electoral commissioner of the opposition Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Gerardo Cruz, said he was satisfied with the judge’s decision. Cruz said the decision responds that Rosselló is not domiciled in Puerto Rico or Washington, one of the requirements to run for office.

Therefore, he said the court should stop Rosselló’s certification process.

FIRST WITNESS

Rosselló was the first witness for the electoral commissioner of the Dignity Project party, Nelson Rosario, who filed the challenge arguing that he does not meet the requirements outlined in Law 167-2020, which made the electoral consultation possible in May.

Article 8 establishes that to be a lobbyist in favor of the island’s statehood in the U.S., one must be of legal age, comply with the requirements of the Electoral Code, speak English and Spanish and reside in either Puerto Rico or Washington.

The rule states that any person who fails to comply with any of these requirements may be disqualified in the District Court of San Juan.

Rosselló, in his testimony before the judge, assured that he has no property in Puerto Rico and that since he resigned from office in August 2019, he has not returned to the island.

SEARCH AT HIS FATHER-IN-LAW’S HOUSE

He assured that the address that appears in the electoral registry of Puerto Rico is that of a house in the municipality of Guaynabo that he sold in 2017 but insisted that his electoral domicile was his father-in-law’s residence in San Juan.

Rosselló Nevares’ lawyer, Roxanna Soto, defended that Law 167-2020 did not apply to the former governor because he was not a candidate in the election but was elected by direct write-in votes rather than having been nominated by a political party.

Rosselló had been elected as a lobbyist in an election held May 16 to choose the six people who will work before Congress in Washington in favor of the island’s full statehood in the U.S. In the election, he received more votes (all by write-in) than any of the other candidates.

The opposition, which favors Puerto Rico remaining a territory rather than becoming a state, has criticized this consulting group for being an unnecessary expense that will be a high cost for public finances with an objective that has no guarantee of success.

Rosselló was forced to resign in early 2019 as Governor of Puerto Rico after the disclosure of a private “chat” with his most direct collaborators in which criticisms were leveled against people and social groups from different areas, which caused great social unrest.

Source: efe