Rivera Schatz to send committee of the whole report to investigative agencies.

Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz

By THE STAR STAFF

Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz announced that the report from the upper chamber’s Committee of the Whole hearing on Tuesday regarding the testimony by La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Francisco Domenech Fernández will result in referrals to multiple state and federal authorities.

“We are going to refer all the information that needs to be referred to [the Government Ethics Office], to the FBI, to the Department of Justice, to the Inspector General, to the Puerto Rico Comptroller, to everyone,” Rivera Schatz said in a radio interview. “To all, to all agencies that have authority over this.”

The Senate leader emphasized that numerous questions remain surrounding a $4 million transaction linked to the firm Politank. Domenech said he sold his stake in the firm for that amount. Rivera Schatz said the Senate will summon Domenech’s aide Ana Delgado, the Office of Government Ethics, and likely former electoral auditor Manuel Torres Nieves to clarify statements by Domenech regarding his role in Politank. Rivera Schatz also pointed to contradictions between Domenech’s testimony and that of former Health Secretary Carlos Mellado López.

One of the central controversies, he said, involves recusals and the absence of a formal protocol for Domenech to recuse himself from intervening in contracts linked to Politank.

“So this has potential violations of the Government Ethics Act,” Rivera Schatz added. “And obviously he has presented information here that is not correct or truthful. He will have to face those consequences.”

The Senate president further questioned the reliability of the lobbyists’ registry as a verification tool. He noted that the comptroller has acknowledged lacking full visibility of all government contracts.

“And the lobbyists’ registry -- listen to this -- hasn’t been updated since April 2025,” Rivera Schatz said. “Yet he stated under oath that his subordinate checked that registry to determine who was or wasn’t a Politank client. Ana Delgado will be here. So we’ll see what happens.”

Rivera Schatz also confirmed that the Senate committee is still awaiting written responses and additional documents requested during the hearing.

“Those sent by colleague [Roxanna] Soto Aguilú and the others -- well, we’re giving them until the 6th, right?” he said. “And the other materials requested by the members, we’ll allow time for those as well.”