New Progressive Party Sen. Juan Oscar Morales on Thursday contradicted Gabriela Boffelli, executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA), by displaying a draft of the $38.5 million contract that former Socioeconomic Development of the Family Administration (ADSEF) administrator Blanca Medina says she refused to sign. During an interview on the program Pegao’s en la mañana, Morales physically showed the document to journalist Milly Méndez and claimed that former ADSEF administrator Ramón Burgos was also fired for refusing to sign the same contract.
Morales said Boffelli should contact him and he would send her the contract so she does not make errors or omissions, adding: "There was a draft contract, here it is. You judge who is telling the truth." His remarks followed Boffelli’s statement on Hoy Día Puerto Rico that no contract ready for Medina’s signature ever existed, because the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) had objections to the government’s proposal, which was later canceled.
Boffelli said no award was ever made to any bidder and no contractor was ever selected. The controversy began when Medina said her differences with Family Secretary Suzanne Roig arose after she refused to sign the $38.5 million contract, which she claimed could not be awarded with available funds. Medina, who led ADSEF for about six months, said she came to the agency at the governor’s request and was summoned to Roig’s office a day after taking the post. She alleged the federal government had raised concerns about the agreement.