Indicted Puerto Rico Governor: Clinton's Fundraising Activities Resemble His Own

El Vocero de Puerto Rico (Spanish-language article) ^ | April 9, 2008 | Associated Press

[Ebenezer]

(English-language translation)

(AP) - Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá established yesterday a resemblance between his political campaign's fundraising activities, which are being investigated by U.S. authorities, and those held by former President Bill Clinton in the island this past weekend.

Clinton raised and took cash collected by his wife Hillary Clinton's Democratic presidential campaign. According to the media, the amount raised may reach $350,000.

"The reality of Puerto Rican, American, and world politics, and that of democracies, is that, whether we like it or not, raising funds is necessary...I have discharged my responsibility while campaigning and always with care so as to obey the law, and I presume that what was done here in Puerto Rico yesterday has complied with the law," the Governor said during a press conference when referring to Clinton's activities.

On March 27, Acevedo was indicted on 19 charges related to the financing of his past political campaigns. Twelve others connected to the Popular Democratic Party were also indicted.

As part of the indictments, the Governor is accused of receiving $140,000 in cash from different restaurants in the United States without reporting them to the Federal Elections Commission as campaign earnings.

Meanwhile, for the Puerto Rican Governor, there is no problem with some of the defendants in the federal case having contracts with the government, provided none of them have been found guilty of any crime.

"These people, as well as yours truly, may remain in their positions as long as they are doing their work," he stated.

Neither does the Governor see as a contradiction that his defense has requested additional time for the process of discovering evidence while, at the same time, demanding a prompt trial for himself and the 12 other defendants.

"We all want the case to be heard as soon as possible, but we all have a right to the best defense possible. The U.S. Attorney spent three years in an investigation that is increasingly being questioned every day by the Puerto Rican people and by those who have begun to analyze this," he stated in Cayey while offering details of an integral water-management plan in the island.

The Governor's defense began to receive on Tuesday the evidence the U.S. Attorney has against him, and the first hearing on the status of the case will be on Friday at 2:00 PM with New Hampshire Federal District Judge Paul Barbadoro, who has been assigned exclusively to handle the case, presiding.

[Ebenezer]

I hope the Governor has the same concern over any local fundraising activities for Obama, whom he supports.

[Ebenezer]

ping

[jdm]

Here’s-a-real-shocker ping.

[cll]

Thanks for the translation, rrstar96.

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