In a period of 16 days, Governor Jenniffer González has been forced to withdraw three of her nominees to the main cabinet posts in the midst of an open clash with the Senate, which, according to analysts consulted, not only evidences the lack of rigor in the evaluation of the candidates by her work team, but also contributes to the “deterioration” of public opinion about her agencies.

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Arthur Garffer became on Tuesday the third nominee withdrawn by the President and the second for Secretary of State, a role of particular importance, as it is first in the line of succession should the governorship become vacant or the governor be absent. The first nomination to be discarded was that of Verónica Ferraiuoli for that position, on April 27, and then that of Janet Parra for the position of Chief Justice, on May 8. Both, at the request of the designated ones.

For Yolanda Cordero, former director of the School of Public Administration of the University of Puerto Rico, this new setback reflects that the governor must “reinforce” or “transform” the office in charge of evaluating the appointments.

“When they get there, those candidates should be evaluated by a group that should be very rigorous and, well, that is not happening, and it is not happening for the most important cabinet posts, and that creates a situation of uncertainty and doubts that the governor, at the time, will have to address,” she said.

The withdrawal of Garffer’s appointment, who will remain at the head of the Department of Public Safety (DPS), occurred less than 24 hours after a certification sent to the Senate by the State Elections Commission (CEE) was made public, which showed, according to the legislative body, that the military officer did not meet the constitutional requirements to occupy the post.

“It would not be fair to again expose a nominee of Garffer’s caliber to a Senate confirmation process with no real opportunity. Given this difficult situation, I have decided to withdraw General Garffer’s nomination and keep him in his position as secretary of the Department of Public Safety,” the governor said in a written statement.

Garffer, for his part, thanked González for the opportunity, reaffirmed his commitment to head the DPS, and said he was “baffled” by the alleged “lack of understanding of what it means to be a veteran, military service, and the crucial role a soldier plays in the National Guard,” in reference to the “residency” criteria.

“I met all the requirements pertinent to the ‘animus manendi’ (spirit of permanence) and the ‘animus revertendi’ (intention to return) to occupy the post of secretary of state of Puerto Rico, data that I have in my possession dating back to April 2019,” Garffer insisted, also in writing.

Despite the recent setbacks, González said the people must be sure that she will not take “one step back” in her commitment to continue her administration without getting “unfocused or distracted by unnecessary fights.

Regarding the points about Garffer’s place of residence, she insisted that the now former nominee was in the same situation as former Secretary of State Elmer Román, who, in 2020, was confirmed in that post, under the same legislative leadership in office today, despite not being an elector on the island and having voted in Virginia in 2016.

“(Román) was confirmed by the Senate president (Thomas Rivera Schatz). Well, that’s if you were to tell me that it was another Legislative Assembly.... Why at that time yes and now no?” the governor questioned, in a separate interview with El Nuevo Día, during her official trip to Washington D.C.

Doubts about Garffer’s appointment began practically from the moment he was appointed to the post, last May 8, although Rivera Schatz initially described the candidate as “excellent.” “With this appointment there are no problems, clouds, controversies, gaps, dispensations or inhibitions,” the senatorial leader wrote in his social networks on the day of the appointment, which was accompanied by the announcement of Parra’s retirement.

However, shortly after, the spokesman of the PPD senatorial delegation, Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz, warned that Garffer did not meet the constitutional requirement of residing on the island for the past five years, information that the CEE confirmed on Monday.

The electoral body certified that, between 2012 and 2024, Garffer participated in 10 electoral events in Martin County, Florida, including general and primary elections.

As a member of the military, Garffer requested the benefit of early voting and absentee voting to exercise his right in Florida. “We have to do a thorough background check on the person who was hired by Fortaleza to do the background check on nominees,” was part of Rivera Schatz’s reaction after receiving the CEE’s certification.

“If Garffer did not comply with the requirements, he did not comply. I supported the nomination, as long as he complied with the requirements,” said New Progressive Party (PNP) Senate Alternate Spokesman Juan Oscar Morales.

“In the future, the governor must evaluate the requirements for the post and must make sure that the candidates, in turn, comply with what is established in the Constitution,” Morales said.

According to Cordero, these controversies detract from the agility of the governmental operation. Likewise, they prevent the Executive from focusing on running its government program and force it -in some instances- “to place more than one hat” on the same official.

“Citizens are already very concerned and, when news starts to spread that appointments are not being made, it adds more uncertainty in terms of the functioning of the local government,” she stressed.

For political analyst Néstor Duprey, what happened “is a serious indictment of the governor and her team’s ability. “If they have not been able to comply in the least, how are they going to deal with serious problems such as the debt of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, the anticipated cut in federal funds and the possibility of atmospheric phenomena that weaken the fragile electric structure? This makes the public think, and rightly so, about whose hands we are in,” he said.

“I believe that (the governor) should, like the computers, do a ‘reloading’ of her work team. A governor who really cared about the performance of his administration would have already taken action,” he added.

Duprey questioned whether, in fact, the credentials and professional experiences of the rejected nominees were previously subjected to a thorough scrutiny, and argued that the accusations made against the three were easily verified.

“Ferraiuoli’s tax issue, Parra’s performance as prosecutor and the issue of Garffer’s residence are all issues that should have surfaced in an investigative process prior to an appointment,” he insisted. “It seems that the attention of the governor and her work team is on something else and not on the execution, and it is very worrisome,” he said.

In view of the vacancies that persist in the State and Justice Departments, this Tuesday, due to González being out of the country, Treasury Secretary Ángel Pantoja served as acting governor.

After learning of Garffer’s electoral and residential profile, the Senate President once again took to his social networks to recommend the first lady of Bayamón and current interim secretary of the agency, Narel Waleska Colón, for the office of head of state.

“It would be a good thing for everyone!” he wrote early Tuesday, although he acknowledged the governor’s prerogative to nominate.

Before Garffer’s nomination was submitted, the name of Colón - who for the past eight years headed González’s office as resident commissioner in Washington - was already being bandied about. At that time, Senate Vice President Carmelo Ríos assured that the official was not interested in the post.

On Tuesday, a group of legislators consulted did not want to comment on the possible appointment because it is the governor’s prerogative. However, they acknowledged that Colon has the credentials and the confidence of González for the post, a position that requires the endorsement of both legislative bodies.

“She meets all the requirements for the position. I believe she would be confirmed much more quickly than anyone else, but it’s up to the governor to decide who should hold the position,” stated Representative Víctor Parés.

Similarly, PNP Senator Ángel Toledo expressed his view: “I have no doubt whatsoever that, administratively, she can do a good job... But that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t undergo scrutiny. Of course, it must always be noted that the authority to make appointments lies with the governor,” he stated.

González, however, emphasized that Colón is not a candidate for the post. “No. She is doing an excellent job and she doesn’t know how much I thank her for being the undersecretary of state... She has done a commendable job, and I thank her for steering the department,” she said.

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Gloria Ruiz Kuilan and José A. Delgado contributed to this story.

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This content was translated from Spanish to English using artificial intelligence and was reviewed by an editor before being published.