The Office of the Panel on the Special Independent Prosecutor (Opfei) has scheduled a meeting for August 27 to discuss the final investigative report on former Puerto Rico State Elections Commission (CEE) alternate president Jessika Padilla Rivera, accused of misusing public funds by granting bonuses to 65 exempt employees, including herself. Special independent prosecutor Leticia Pabón Ortiz told El Nuevo Día the report exceeds 100 pages and was submitted August 12, with no further deadlines remaining.
She left open the possibility of referrals to oversight bodies, including the Office of Government Ethics (OEG), after the meeting. Pabón Ortiz and fellow prosecutor Ileana Agudo Calderón had 90 days, plus a 45-day extension, to investigate; they interviewed 45 witnesses. In January, the Department of Justice referred Padilla Rivera, now a Superior Court judge, to Opfei, citing possible violations of Article 264 of the Penal Code (misappropriation of public funds) and Article 4.2 of the Government Ethics Law.
Two sources said misappropriation requires criminal intent, which may not apply here. In April 2025, Padilla Rivera authorized a one-time $174,105.20 bonus to 65 exempt CEE employees without approval from election commissioners, the Fiscal Oversight Board, or the Office of Management and Budget (OGP).