By The Star Staff
Pablo José Hernández Rivera, a pre-candidate for resident commissioner from the Popular Democratic Party (PDP), called on Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón on Monday “to be more honest and transparent about her relationship with [Oscar] Santamaría,” the businessman convicted of corruption and the star witness in the corruption case of former Guaynabo mayor Ángel Pérez Otero.
Hernández Rivera’s request came after the publication Sunday of an interview in a local media outlet in which the resident commissioner allegedly refused to answer a question about her relationship with the convict. Hernández Rivera said González Colón distanced herself from the convicted businessman in the interview by saying only that he was part of the New Progressive Party team but not part of hers.
Hernández Rivera, who is a lawyer, also said that during the trial of Pérez Otero, a recording was presented in which Santamaría asks, “Jenniffer González? Have you let me go yet? I was good when I was helping her, when I looked after several candidates.”
“In politics you don’t have control over how you interact with people who end up being accused of corruption, but you do [need to] control how you react when those people are accused and convicted,” Hernández Rivera said in a written statement.
“González must better explain her relationship with the convicted businessman and return the money he donated to her,” he added.
The PDP pre-candidate went on to say that González Colón’s alleged relationship with Santamaría may have an impact on the allocation of federal funds to the island.
“One of the main obstacles to the reconstruction of Puerto Rico is corruption,” he said. “Resident Commissioner González’s relationship with people like Pérez and Santamaría weakens our credibility in Washington.”