The Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Justice has asked the agent of Puerto Rico in Congress to explain why a federal investigation into a prison drugs-for-votes system was abandoned following the 2024 elections. Four different members of the House of Representatives also request that the investigation be done.
According to the members of Congress,” Credible claims of election fraud exposed through federal investigative work warrant serious scrutiny and transparent explanation,” according to the letter from May 20. They added that it was necessary for “public trust in democratic organizations” that such statements be handled regularly, “regardless of the political players involved.”
Reps. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, Adriano Espaillat, D-N. Y., head of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Jess” Chuy” Garca, D-Ill., a member of the House Judiciary Committee, signed the letter.
Their request comes in response to a ProPublica research that was released earlier this month detailing how prosecutors had discovered a drugs-for-votes system being run by a violent group in Puerto Rico and were looking into whether the now-Gov. Jennifer González-Colón or her cause were involved. Four options with knowledge of the investigation told ProPublica that as prosecution prepared the prosecution in the weeks following President Donald Trump’s election in 2024, directors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico instructed them to forbid the allegations against individuals and prison personnel. Therefore, according to the sources, they were instructed to completely abandon the investigation into potential political ties when Trump became president.
In their letter, the members of Congress urged the inspector general to review the Justice Department’s decision to not pursue claims of election fraud “malgré reported results and information.” They added that the lack of further investigation contradicts the Trump administration’s repeated call for putting election security and integrity first as top priorities for federal enforcement, as well as making drug traffickers threats to public safety and democratic institutions.
Hernández Rivera initially requested a House Judiciary Committee investigation into the matter, but she later decided that the inspector general’s office would be a better course of action.
In an email to ProPublica, he wrote,” This has always been about following the facts and making sure there is accountability.” An Inspector General review is the best way to independently examine what took place and whether standards were followed in accordance with the concerns raised about the DOJ’s handling of the investigation and prosecutorial decisions.
Don Berthiaume, who had been nominated for the position of acting inspector general, was the subject of the letter. The office is led by William Blier, the deputy inspector general, while his confirmation is pending.
The Bureau of Prisons, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration are among the Justice Department’s jurisdictions over misconduct committed by the inspector general’s office. However, it does not control attorney misconduct complaints that the Office of Professional Responsibility handles, unless they involve criminal behavior. The inspector general’s office declined to comment on the letter.
González-Colón, a long-time Republican and a member of the New Progressive Party, has turned down ProPublica’s repeated requests for interviews. She denied any wrongdoing in a previous statement and said she “has stood firmly against corruption” throughout her career and political campaigns. She rebutted any attempt to link her to unlawful conduct, saying,” I categorically reject it.” She also stated to the local media that she didn’t believe an investigation into the matter was necessary. González-Colón has not been charged with any crimes.
In an indictment filed in December of this year, while Joe Biden was still president, a gang called Group 31 or Los Tiburones was accused of infiltrating 34 of its members and related to crimes like drug distribution that resulted in at least four overdose deaths. The indictment also claimed that the gang allegedly communicated with government officials” for the purpose of reducing prison sentences” and that they were given instructions on inmates” who to vote for in primary and general elections.” However, the drugs-for-votes scheme was not named in the indictment.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, gang leaders allegedly forced prisoners to cast ballots for Gonzalez-Colon, endure brutal beatings, or be cut off from using the drugs they were addicted to. People with knowledge of the investigation told ProPublica that the prosecution claimed they had proof that González-Colon had spoken with one of the prison gang leaders over WhatsApp during the primary campaign and that they were looking into other potential ties when told not to go any further.
U.S. attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow, stated that his office does not make comments on open cases. While a few defendants have entered plea agreements, the majority of the cases are still pending.
In a previous email, a representative for his office, Lymarie Llovet-Ayala, stated to ProPublica that prosecuting corrupt government officials “has always been and continues to be a top priority” of the office.
Following the release of the first ProPublica article, lawmakers asked the DOJ watchdog to look into an alleged drug-for-violets scheme.
