GEO: Appointment of Ferraiuoli, Domenech to top jobs is not conflict of interest
- The San Juan Daily Star
- Apr 24
- 2 min read
By The Star Staff
During a public Senate hearing Wednesday, Office of Government Ethics Executive Director Luis Pérez Vargas said the appointments of Verónica Ferraiouli Hornedo as secretary of state and her husband, La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Francisco Domenech, may raise “an inappropriate work issue” but do not pose a conflict of interest under current law.
Pérez Vargas noted that Section 4.4 of the Ethics in Government Act prohibits conflicts of interest involving relatives, but clarified that this does not apply in this case, as neither official is related to Gov. Jenniffer González Colón. He emphasized the need for proper restraint mechanisms to prevent situations that could benefit third parties.
“It’s not a legal prohibition. The law permits it,” Pérez Vargas during a committee of the whole evaluation of Ferraiouli’s appointment. “In Puerto Rico, perceptions often collide, and we are held to a higher standard. If you find yourself constantly having to explain your decisions, it may be time to reconsider. It could appear inappropriate,” Pérez Vargas stated.
Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz pressed Pérez Vargas for a specific stance on how the marriage situation might be perceived publicly.
“The law allows it … but in this context, it could look inappropriate,” Pérez Vargas ultimately responded after pressure from the veteran legislator. “It’s a matter of professional conduct.”
In response to questions from Sen. Gregorio Matías Rosario, Pérez Vargas reiterated that a direct conflict of interest would not occur as long as their positions are not used for personal gain. He further clarified that the Government Ethics Office does not have auditors on-site to monitor disqualification mechanisms and can only intervene if formal requests for investigations are made.
PRican pro-statehood politicians learned well their lesson from politicians in the mainland; let's drop all kind of stuff and whatever stick is what we'll follow. While the person nominated for Sec of State said, originally, that she didn't pay her taxes for two consecutive years, she accepted, during her confirmation hearing, that it was three; she completed the third filling two months prior to her nomination. Now, the Executive Director of the Office of Government Ethics, spent hours splitting hair trying to explain the fact that the nominated's husband functions as Chief of Staff which might look like a conflict of interest but is not.
If he was able to convince the legislators or not is meaningless; the fact is…