Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González Colón said on Tuesday, November 3, that state and federal authorities should handle all complaints surrounding Family Department Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes. She left unanswered a question about whether it is time to fire the official. She said she will not let the Family Department lose its focus and promised, "this is a matter I will keep attending to," without explaining how.
The latest episode began after Senator Juan Oscar Morales received a response from the company NOLA Education stating it paid all transportation, meals and snacks for the Puerto Rican delegation that traveled to Louisiana from December 7 to 10 to see its Star Academy project. At a Senate hearing, Roig Fuertes claimed she paid for her own dinners in cash.
Morales said she asked the agency for reimbursement for per diem expenses and an Uber ride. The company said it paid $13,000 to host the delegation, including the secretary. The company incorporated in Puerto Rico on December 10 and was awarded a $38.5 million contract in late January 2026, though it said it had requested $37.5 million.
The contract was never signed. Former Socioeconomic Development Administration of the Family administrator Blanca Medina Díaz, who was dismissed, said Roig Fuertes pressured her to sign; she did not, on legal advice. Roig Fuertes said Saturday she would not react except to an official requirement conforming to law.
Asked whether the reimbursement was illegal appropriation, the governor said state and federal agencies investigating should make that judgment.