Governor: Cousins’ participation in campaigns is ‘public knowledge’
By The Star Staff
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia said Tuesday that he did not discuss the ties of his cousins Eduardo and Walter Pierluisi with his political campaign because he had not been asked.
“First of all, that I distanced myself [from news of the investigation of his cousins] came from a headline and it’s not correct,” the governor said in response to questions from the press. “When I was approached about the issue, the raid or something similar had just happened at the residence of my cousin Eduardo [Pierluisi] and all I did was say what the relationship was and from there to here many reports have emerged. This is not a matter of me distancing myself; the only thing I know about this is what the media itself has reported.”
Asked why he had not detailed the role of his cousins in his campaigns, Pierluisi replied: “That is public knowledge and everyone knows who is in my campaign structure.”
“They are my relatives,” he said. “They have always collaborated in my campaigns; that is public knowledge. That’s not new.”
Asked if other cousins have contracts in the government, the governor replied that: “The family is large, but as far as I know, it is Walter Pierluisi who has this company that has lifelong contracts with the Public Housing Administration. As far as I know that’s all I can say.”
The governor insisted that he trusts his cousin knows the laws and regulations regarding the administration of federal funds from what comes from the Public Housing Administration. He also believes that his cousin has other contracts with several municipalities.
The governor’s cousins’ residences were raided by federal officers last week in an investigation reportedly related to public housing.