Supreme Court suspends ex-Gov. Vázquez from practicing law.

Former governor Wanda Vázquez Garced (Facebook via Wanda Vázquez Garced)

By THE STAR STAFF

The Puerto Rico Supreme Court on Monday ordered the immediate and indefinite suspension of former governor Wanda Vázquez Garced from both the practice of law and the notarial profession following her federal conviction related to financing her 2020 gubernatorial campaign.

The decision took effect immediately.

According to the court’s ruling, Vázquez, who served as governor from 2019 to 2021, was disciplined after admitting guilt in federal court to a misdemeanor offense tied to accepting political contributions from a foreigner for her 2020 campaign. Her guilty plea, entered as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors, acknowledged accepting a promise of political contributions from Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini during her bid for reelection. 

As part of the sanction, Associate Justice Roberto Feliberti Cintrón ordered the court marshal to seize Vázquez’s notarial records and stamp, which must be delivered to the Office of Notary Inspection for formal examination and reporting. 

The court emphasized that this step is standard protocol in disciplinary actions involving notarial misconduct or ethical violations that impede a lawyer’s ability to continue in the profession.

The ruling also directs Vázquez, a former New Progressive Party leader and former justice secretary, to notify all courts and clients of her suspension. She must additionally return all case files and refund any legal fees for work not performed, the court said. 

Failure to comply with those obligations could jeopardize any future attempt by Vázquez to seek reinstatement to legal practice. The Supreme Court underscored that noncompliance “could result in her not being reinstated to the legal profession at a later date.” 

The disciplinary decision stems from Vázquez’s admission of guilt in federal court in August, when she acknowledged accepting a promise of political contributions from Herrera Velutini in exchange for an official action involving the island’s main financial regulatory agency. Herrera Velutini and former FBI agent Mark Rossini were also implicated in the scheme and later entered guilty pleas.