After the Independent Especial Prosecutor Governor Gonzáles announced that both her chief of staff and deputy chief of staff will be leaving in August
Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced this afternoon that Francisco Domenech Fernández will step down as chief of staff — effective in August, in a live address delivered from La Fortaleza and broadcast on the government’s television channel and the executive mansion’s social media accounts. González Colón also announced that the governor’s chief of staff, Itza García will depart later in August too.
This announcement comes after months of a heated feud with Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz about Domenech work, and days after the Panel of Independent Special Prosecutor (PFEI, by its Spanish acronym) announced that it would be investigating both government officials.
In an obsequious message, the governor praised the work of Domenech and García. While she did not cite the reasons for their departure, the governor argued that she couldn’t allow the work of her administration to be “silenced” and that it is important for people to see the work that her administration is doing. González Colón went on to insist this would not be her last collaboration with Domenech.
“He becomes the tenth longest-serving secretary in this position within the government of Puerto Rico. It seems to me that the Secretary of State does not hold the office for very long. I am certain that I will utilize you in other roles where you are highly effective,” said González about Domenech who will depart on August 7, while García will stay at her post until August 15.
The governor credited Domenech and García with helping her administration reduce $900 million in government contracts, implementing modernizing projects in the agencies and starting the process to end the contract with LUMA Energy, the island’s energy transmission and distribution provider.
“Now I understand why LUMA fights so fiercely to try to remain in Puerto Rico despite such poor service, and the reason they pay so much for lobbyists to keep trying to stay,” the governor said.
For his part, Domenech started his departing remarks by reciting a quote from Robert F. Kennedy Sr. about how few men have the courage to face backlash and also thanked García for her work as his deputy.
“I return to my private life with the peace of mind of having served with integrity and the conviction that a public servant’s true legacy lies not in the positions held, but in the institutions strengthened, the opportunities created for future generations, and the lives impacted—even if it is just one,” said Domenech.
Domenech’s exit comes after weeks of mounting political pressure tied to an ongoing investigation by Puerto Rico’s PFEI, which in mid-July expanded a probe originally focused on former officials at the Permit Management Office (OGPe, by its Spanish accronym) to formally include Domenech and García. The panel’s stated aim is to determine whether either official bears criminal or administrative responsibility.
The scandal traces back to the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC), whose former secretary, Sebastián Negrón Reichard, resigned in May citing a “lack of confidence” in the administration. Negrón Reichard later filed a 70-page sworn statement containing multiple allegations of alleged irregularities, including claims implicating Domenech directly, according to local reports.
The pressure escalated on July 18, when Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz publicly called for the resignations of both Domenech and García, calling them “a burden” on the administration and arguing that “considerations of prudence and decency” made it untenable for either to remain in office while under investigation. “If they appreciate the governor, they should step aside. If they don’t, the governor has to act,” Rivera Schatz said at the time. Senators from both major political parties echoed the call, as did the president of Puerto Rico’s firefighters union and Rep. Pablo José Hernández, who demanded Domenech’s dismissal “and that of his clique” amid the DDEC controversy.
But the controversies around Domenech position as González right hand man, go beyond the PFEI investigation. Rumblings about feuds between La Fortaleza and the Legislature have been heard from the start of González administration, including the difficulty for the governor’s political appointments to pass the Senate confirmation process.
On March 24, at the request of Rivera Schatz the Senate celebrated an interpolation hearing with all senators at the dais to question Domenech actions as chief of staff and questions about his relationship with Politank. Prior to becoming chief of staff, Domenech was owner of the lobbying firm Politank, and some senators, including the Senate president alleged that Domenech was favoring Politank clients and that the sale of Politank was not above board.
Domenech, a lawyer who managed González Colón’s 2024 gubernatorial campaign, was appointed secretary of governance on Jan. 2, 2025, becoming Puerto Rico’s 21st chief of staff. He had previously denied any wrongdoing and, as recently as last week, ruled out resigning, saying he retained the governor’s confidence. The governor herself had pushed back on characterizations of Domenech as “untouchable,” while saying she planned to meet with him and García to determine next steps without disrupting her administration’s work.
