Puerto Rico’s Governor got a big break. Will it be a big enough break to keep him free?
Associated Press Writer
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A U.S. judge has thrown out most of the federal corruption charges against Puerto Rico’s governor, who faces trial in February for alleged campaign finance violations. The judge on Monday dismissed 15 of the 24 charges against Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila. All but two were dismissed with prejudice and cannot be filed again.
Defense attorney Thomas Green described the ruling as a blow to prosecutors.
“There’s no common thread that weaves all the charges together, but it certainly cuts out a big part of the case,” Green said by telephone from his office in Washington.
A federal indictment handed down in March accuses Acevedo of conspiracy to violate federal campaign laws and defraud the Internal Revenue Service, and giving false testimony to the FBI. The governor, who has denied any wrongdoing, faces trial Feb. 9.
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