Puerto Rico Must Deal With Its Corruption Circus Before Statehood Can Be Considered

WASHINGTON — Though it’s not clear who’s pushing it, statehood for Puerto Rico has once again reared its head. Democrats think it would net them two new United States Senators and half a dozen new House members, making it a swell idea. Some Republicans want it to, but for reasons that remain unclear.

Before serious debate can begin, the island’s leaders must address the perception that corruption there has run amok, largely due to the machinations of a former Democrat who is now the most powerful of GOP Gov. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon’s aides.

Francisco Domenech, a former Hillary Clinton superdelegate and fundraising operative, has been accused of official corruption by several high-ranking members of Gonzalez-Colon’s government, including Sebastián Negrón Reichard, the now former economic development secretary.

Negrón resigned in May after essentially accusing Domenech of using his office to interfere with his agency’s work and of rigging bids in a federally-funded procurement process.

Domenech retaliated by filing sworn statements accusing Negrón of corruption and conflicts of interest. The whole business, which is typical of how governance is handled in Puerto Rico now, closely resembles the on-screen antics of a Marx Bros. farce. It also seriously undermines the territory’s ability to govern itself.

Domenech denies any wrongdoing, as he did after an arrest for alleged physical violence committed against his wife. He thinks his conduct in all matters is above reproach, above even inquiry. The facts on the public record suggest otherwise and call for a thorough investigation by the proper authorities.

Until the questions about Domenech’s actions in office are answered, the island’s redevelopment after two devastating hurricanes cannot be completed. Reconstruction has stalled because the public cannot trust the government.

Almost ten years after the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the commonwealth still must deal with skittish investors, chronic power plant failures, delayed infrastructure projects and a water infrastructure crisis. The island’s recovery is long overdue, thanks in no small part to the machinations of Domenech and his crew of insiders.

Domenech is not a marginal figure. He has served simultaneously in key positions connected to the governor’s office and the island’s fiscal apparatus. He’s the governor’s representative to the fiscal control board and head of the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority in charge of all federal funds and contacts.