In the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Maria last September, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz (D) made a name for herself when she began attacking President Donald Trump and his administration for its response to the natural disaster.
Now, Yulín Cruz has found herself in hot water as investigators reportedly probe her administration for corruption.
What are the details?
For weeks, Yulín Cruz made headlines for her comments about the Trump administration’s hurricane response. But now it appears it wasn’t the president’s administration slowly aid from reaching Puerto Rico and San Juan, but hers. The Epoch Times reported:
According to a local news report from El Vocero de Puerto Rico, the FBI is investigating several suppliers for alleged corruption in San Juan.
It says the investigation was launched after former procurement director Yadira Molina filed a lawsuit claiming she faced punishment for reporting illegal activities to the local comptroller. The investigation has since grown to include several contractors.
“On February 21, Molina sued the city council after reporting alleged acts of corruption in the shopping division in the town hall under the administration of Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto,” the report says.
The lawsuit claims Molina faced retaliation for reporting corruption and other illegal activities, including death threats and property damage. Eventually, Molina lost her job.
In her suit, Molina claims corruption is the norm in San Juan, and anyone who dares report the illegal activity faces harassment and retaliation. However, it must be stated that Molina was fired months before Hurricane Maria, so her suit is not related to possible corruption in the aftermath of the storm; it simply paints an intricate picture of how corrupt the city is.
An FBI spokesperson did not confirm or deny the existence of the investigation when reached for comment by El Vocero, while a San Juan spokesperson said she would not comment on an “ongoing investigation.”
Any corruption related to Maria, though?
According to Fox News, the FBI was already investigating local Puerto Rico officials accused of “withholding” or “mishandling” critical FEMA relief supplies. One local official was even accused of packing his car full of the critical supplies meant for storm victims.
“The complaints we’re hearing is that mayors of local municipalities, or people associated with their offices, are giving their political supporters special treatment, goods they’re not giving to other people who need them,” FBI special agent Carlos Osorio told Fox News in October.
“The U.S. attorney has made it clear if anyone is caught mishandling FEMA supplies, they will be prosecuted and could end up facing anywhere from five to 20 years in prison,” he explained.
(H/T: Townhall)
via TheBlaze.com – Stories
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