Puerto Rico roiled by widening political crisis as top official comes under fire

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The administration of Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González is mired in a new political crisis, with allegations of public corruption, government interference and conflicts of interest.González’s chief of staff Francisco Domenech is the latest to be ensnared in a high-profile investigation, following the resignation last month of Puerto Rico’s economic development chief Sebastián Negrón, who accused the administration of interfering with the agency’s work. More than 10 other officials — including the chief of staff, general counsel and finance chief — also resigned from the agency as it tries to lure new investors to an island struggling with chronic power outages and other issues.Domenech, who maintains a high profile in his role, also serves as executive director of Puerto Rico’s Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority.

On Wednesday, Domenech submitted sworn statements against Negrón to Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice and its Office of Government Ethics, alleging corruption and conflicts of interest. On Thursday, he justified his actions in an interview with WIPR, a government TV station.

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