De Castro Font allegedly authored bills aimed at helping businesses
When former Sen. Jorge de Castro Font was Majority Leader, he authored and co-authored over 200 measures, 10 of which were aimed at helping businesses, critics said, including one that would have repealed the entity in charge of overseeing development in Culebra, one that would have benefitted bottling companies, and another that would have put the brakes on an island-wide Land Use Plan.
Most of the measures were rejected by the House or did not complete the legislative process. “That shows the benefits of a bicameral system,” a legislative source said.
De Castro Font pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal charges related to taking bribes while he was a lawmaker. He is awaiting sentencing and is cooperating with authorities, giving the names of lawmakers who allegedly engaged in corrupt acts. Federal authorities are also investigating other New Progressive Party senators, including NPP Sen. Héctor Martínez for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for legislation, and former NPP Sen. Carlos Díaz. Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock, a former Senate president, is allegedly also under investigation.
While federal officials have not confirmed the probes, House Speaker Jenniffer González and Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz have both said federal officials have requested documents from the Legislature.
De Castro Font authored several bills, which upon reading, appeared to have been made to benefit certain industries, according to observers.
For instance, he introduced a bill that would have restricted benefits for senior citizens. Currently individuals over the age 75 are entitled to free tickets to watch plays and other artistic performances, while individuals between the ages of 60 to 74 can obtain them at half price. De Castro Font’s bill restricted the practice to just 10 percent of the tickets that are being sold for a production. The House rejected the bill.
The House also rejected a bill penned by De Castro Font that would have benefitted bottling companies by giving them incentives, another that would have allowed municipalities to buy franchises, a third that would have eliminated the special excise tax on sports utility vehicles and a fourth bill that would have postponed the creation of an island wide Land Use Plan.
De Castro Font was co-author of the bill that would have put the Culebra Conservation and Development Authority, in charge of overseeing the island’s development, under the Department of Development and Commerce. The legislation, which was penned by NPP Sen. Roberto Arango, could have had the result of opening up the small island for development.
He also co-authored with other NPP lawmakers the bill that would have allowed the sale of unused government properties to businesses but the bill did not complete the legislative process.
Former Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vila vetoed a bill that De Castro Font filed with McClintock and Senate Minority Leader José Luis Dalmau to allow local insurance companies to sell their risk to unauthorized insurers.
One of the measures that federal officials are investigating is the Telecommunications Law, which was not authored by De Castro Font but the former NPP lawmaker allegedly amended to include a disposition that benefitted the Puerto Rico Telephone Company in a class action suit seeking damages for $250 million. After it was approved in both chambers and signed by the legislative leaders, the measure was brought back to the Legislature in a reconsideration process.
The measure was then approved by the House again and then by the Senate. However, the Senate added an amendment giving the Telecommunications Regulatory Board jurisdiction over lawsuits against communications companies, a move that benefitted PRT.
NPP Rep. Jorge Navarro said he does not know who amended the bill but acknowledged that it could have been done in the House.
As a result, several representatives filed an amendment to the bill to eliminate the board’s jurisdiction but the bill did not finish the legislative process.
Former House Speaker José Aponte told the Daily Sun that after that incident, it was decided that all amendments to bills not read out loud would have to be signed by legislative leaders of the different political delegations.
Most of the measures were rejected by the House or did not complete the legislative process. “That shows the benefits of a bicameral system,” a legislative source said.
De Castro Font pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal charges related to taking bribes while he was a lawmaker. He is awaiting sentencing and is cooperating with authorities, giving the names of lawmakers who allegedly engaged in corrupt acts. Federal authorities are also investigating other New Progressive Party senators, including NPP Sen. Héctor Martínez for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for legislation, and former NPP Sen. Carlos Díaz. Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock, a former Senate president, is allegedly also under investigation.
While federal officials have not confirmed the probes, House Speaker Jenniffer González and Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz have both said federal officials have requested documents from the Legislature.
De Castro Font authored several bills, which upon reading, appeared to have been made to benefit certain industries, according to observers.
For instance, he introduced a bill that would have restricted benefits for senior citizens. Currently individuals over the age 75 are entitled to free tickets to watch plays and other artistic performances, while individuals between the ages of 60 to 74 can obtain them at half price. De Castro Font’s bill restricted the practice to just 10 percent of the tickets that are being sold for a production. The House rejected the bill.
The House also rejected a bill penned by De Castro Font that would have benefitted bottling companies by giving them incentives, another that would have allowed municipalities to buy franchises, a third that would have eliminated the special excise tax on sports utility vehicles and a fourth bill that would have postponed the creation of an island wide Land Use Plan.
De Castro Font was co-author of the bill that would have put the Culebra Conservation and Development Authority, in charge of overseeing the island’s development, under the Department of Development and Commerce. The legislation, which was penned by NPP Sen. Roberto Arango, could have had the result of opening up the small island for development.
He also co-authored with other NPP lawmakers the bill that would have allowed the sale of unused government properties to businesses but the bill did not complete the legislative process.
Former Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vila vetoed a bill that De Castro Font filed with McClintock and Senate Minority Leader José Luis Dalmau to allow local insurance companies to sell their risk to unauthorized insurers.
One of the measures that federal officials are investigating is the Telecommunications Law, which was not authored by De Castro Font but the former NPP lawmaker allegedly amended to include a disposition that benefitted the Puerto Rico Telephone Company in a class action suit seeking damages for $250 million. After it was approved in both chambers and signed by the legislative leaders, the measure was brought back to the Legislature in a reconsideration process.
The measure was then approved by the House again and then by the Senate. However, the Senate added an amendment giving the Telecommunications Regulatory Board jurisdiction over lawsuits against communications companies, a move that benefitted PRT.
NPP Rep. Jorge Navarro said he does not know who amended the bill but acknowledged that it could have been done in the House.
As a result, several representatives filed an amendment to the bill to eliminate the board’s jurisdiction but the bill did not finish the legislative process.
Former House Speaker José Aponte told the Daily Sun that after that incident, it was decided that all amendments to bills not read out loud would have to be signed by legislative leaders of the different political delegations.