Puerto Rico Official Faces Scrutiny: Domenech Interrogation & Contract Questions
Puerto Rico’s Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz has sent a 15-page letter to Francisco Domenech Fernández, Chief of Staff to Governor Jenniffer González Colón, requesting detailed information regarding potential conflicts of interest involving government contracts and the lobbying firm Politank, according to reports published Thursday.
The request for information comes as the Senate prepares to summon Domenech to appear before a committee of the whole next week, the San Juan Daily Star reported. Rivera Schatz’s letter seeks to determine if clients of Politank have benefitted from government contracts due to Domenech’s alleged ties to the firm, despite Domenech’s assertions that he no longer owns it.
The inquiry was initially made public on Jay Fonseca’s YouTube channel, prompting further scrutiny. The Senate President’s letter demands documentation regarding Politank’s activities, clients, and relationships, specifically mentioning Michael Ayala, who allegedly had a role with Politank while simultaneously advising Governor González Colón. Ayala has denied any links to the firm.
Alongside the Politank inquiry, Rivera Schatz is also questioning the relationship between the firm Ecoval, the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (COR3), and potential conflicts of interest, as reported by Metro Puerto Rico. In a Facebook post, Rivera Schatz raised concerns about the participation of various entities in government contracting, suggesting possible connections between corporations doing business with the state.
“You’ll see multiple ways for the same people, using different corporations, to do business with the government. That is not an imputation or accusation, but It’s a fact like many government documents!” Rivera Schatz wrote, accompanying his statement with documents related to Ecoval, including a signature attributed to a company representative before COR3.
The scrutiny of Ecoval follows a previous investigation by the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI) which revealed that the current director of COR3, Eduardo Soria Rivera, maintained ties to the firm while it accumulated contracts with multiple government agencies. Soria reportedly removed himself from the firm in January 2025 after being appointed to COR3.
Several government agencies, including COR3, the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA), and the Departments of Education and Health, are actively preparing for Domenech’s interpelation by the Senate, according to El Nuevo Día.
The Governor’s office has not yet responded to the Senate’s request for information. The Senate committee hearing with Domenech is scheduled for next week.