Jorge de Castro Font
Encyclopedia
Jorge Adolfo de Castro-Font (born on September 10, 1963) is a former Puerto Rican Senator
and former member of the House of Representatives
. Originally, he was a member of the Popular Democratic Party
(PPD) but became an independent representative in 2001 after inner disputes with his party. In 2002, he became a member of the New Progressive Party
(PNP) and was elected Senator in 2004 and 2008, despite inner struggles within the party and legal issues.
In 2008, De Castro Font was arrested by the FBI and subsequently charged with 21 charges of fraud and conspiracy. As a result, he was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison and 3 years probation.
Rafael Adolfo de Castro Campos and María Eugenia Font González. He is the grandson of Jorge Font Saldaña, one of former Gov. Luis Muñoz Marín
's closest associates.
De Castro Font received his Bachelor's degree
in Justice System from the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan
and his Master's degree
in History from the Puerto Rico and Caribbean Center for Advanced Studies in Old San Juan. De Castro Font was also a member of the United States Army Reserve
, and served briefly with the Puerto Rico National Guard
.
De Castro Font started distinguishing himself as a youth leader for the Popular Democratic Party
. In 1985, he was the assistant of then-Speaker
of the House of Representatives, José Ronaldo Jarabo
.
. He was 25 at the time, making him the youngest elected representative to that date. He was reelected to the post in the 1992
, 1996
, and 2000
general elections.
On September 27, 2002, De Castro Font announced he was joining the ranks of the New Progressive Party
(PNP) and announced his candidacy for a Senate position.
seat in the 2004 general elections. The elections resulted in a "mixed" government with PPD's Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
as governor, and the PNP dominating both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The PNP majority caucus elected De Castro Font on November 4, 2004 as the Majority Leader of the newly elected Senate, while his friend Kenneth McClintock
was elected President of the Senate.
announced he was aspiring for a Senate seat vacated by a freshman Senator for the district of Arecibo
. After joining the Senate, he expressed his hopes of becoming president of the Senate, and asked his fellow party Senators to support him over President Kenneth McClintock. However, six Senators, including De Castro Font, refused to do so and continued supporting McClintock.
This prompted the PNP Board to expel several of these Senators, including De Castro Font, while suspending others. De Castro Font gave up his post as the Senate Majority Leader (which went to Senator Margarita Nolasco), but retained the chairmanship of the Senate Rules Committee, which allowed him to direct all floor activities in the Senate. As a result of the split within the party, McClintock appointed De Castro Font as chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Municipal and Financial Affairs Committee, and co-chair of the Joint Select Committee on the Civil Code and the Joint Select Committee on the Penal Code.
De Castro did not recognize the party's decision to expel him and continued to identify himself both as a supporter of statehood for Puerto Rico as well as a member of the PNP. The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
, in the case McClintock vs. Rivera Schatz, annulled De Castro Font's expulsion from the party in a 5-1 decision. In a subsequent case, De Castro Font vs Partido Nuevo Progresista, the Court confirmed his right to appear in the NPP primary ballot.
, which was based on testimony by witnesses interviewed regarding a second case. The pro-statehood senator responded saying that he "has never received money in exchange for a favor".
On August 23, 2008, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
raided the Senator's Capitol office, a San Juan, Puerto Rico
gas station at which he was a client and his Hato Rey apartment after obtaining a search warrant from U.S. District Court Judge Francisco Besosa
. On August 25, Federal agents visited the homes of some of his employees. On that date, he ceased to be the Senate Majority Leader.
The search warrants confirmed the rumor of an ongoing investigation from the FBI against De Castro Font. These events were considered by the PNP's President and candidate for Governor, Luis Fortuño
, as sufficient cause to seek his disqualification as a candidate for reelection to the Senate. To this, Senator De Castro Font responded aggressively and threatened to reveal information that could link many members of the party in illicit activities, including Fortuño and his wife.
On September 9, 2008, De Castro Font voluntarily arrived at the Federico Degetau
Federal Building in San Juan to "turn himself in" after allegedly receiving a phone call that morning from a close friend of Fortuño's, advising him that he was to be arrested that day. The Senator opted to show up at court, rather than be publicly arrested. It is believed that after this event, the Senator and the FBI reached an agreement to allow the Senator to turn himself in voluntarily if there was ever a warrant for his arrest.
On September 10, 2008, San Juan District Court rejected the pleas of the PNP to expel Jorge De Castro Font from the ballot for the upcoming elections. The judge determined that once a candidate has been elected in a primary by the people and has been officially certified by the Comisión Estatal de Eleciones
, "he or she cannot be removed for reasons other than those specified by law". Puerto Rico electoral law states that a candidate may only be disqualified if he or she violates state or federal law, violations of internal Party policies are not sufficient cause.
On October 2, 2008, De Castro Font was arrested by the FBI at his lawyer's office in San Juan, Puerto Rico
. De Castro Font was arrested and indicted on 32 federal charges including fraud, extortion, bribery and money laundering. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. His political consultant and aide, Alberto Goachet, 67, was also indicted for honest services fraud
and extortion. The case is prosecuted by the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section
headed by Chief William M. Welch II, and investigated by the FBI's San Juan Field Office. On that date, Senate President Kenneth McClintock
immediately removed him as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, appointing Senate Majority Leader Margarita Nolasco to fill the vacancy. De Castro subsequently lashed out against McClintock for being a "traitor" to him.
On the 2008 general elections
held on November 4, De Castro Font was reelected as Senator despite his legal troubles.
On December 4, 2008, de Castro was arrested and jailed indefinitely for violating his bail conditions when, according to Federal District Court Judge Francisco Besosa
he has at least three improper contacts with government witnesses. During several instances while awaiting trial, he was housed in the Federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Carcel Federal de Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. On December 21, 2008, in a letter to PNP President and Governor-elect Luis Fortuño, he announced that he was resigning the seat to which he was elected in the upcoming Senate scheduled to take office on January 2, 2009..
De Castro Font was sentenced on May 17, 2011, to 5 years in prison and 3 years probation. He awaits trial in local courts for related local corruption and tax evasion charges.
In recent years, De Castro married attorney Lisandra Delgado. In the midst of his trial, they were divorced. This caused De Castro Font to be taken to a psychiatric hospital due to the stress of the two legal proceedings against him. He was released a few days after to favor home treatment. Later that year, he attempted to commit suicide.
As a result of De Castro's legal troubles and current incarceration, it has been speculated that his ex-wife, Lisandra, could either be charged with him locally for tax evasion
, or serve as a witness against her ex-husband.
Senate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate is composed of 27 senators, representing eight constituent senatorial districts across the commonwealth, with two senators elected per district; an...
and former member of the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Puerto Rico
The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico...
. Originally, he was a member of the Popular Democratic Party
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
(PPD) but became an independent representative in 2001 after inner disputes with his party. In 2002, he became a member of the New Progressive Party
New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rico's admission to the United States of America as the 51st state...
(PNP) and was elected Senator in 2004 and 2008, despite inner struggles within the party and legal issues.
In 2008, De Castro Font was arrested by the FBI and subsequently charged with 21 charges of fraud and conspiracy. As a result, he was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison and 3 years probation.
Early life and studies
Jorge de Castro Font was born on September 10, 1963 to former Puerto Rico OmbudsmanPuerto Rico Ombudsman
The Puerto Rico Ombudsman is a government position created by statute in 1977 during the administration of Governor Carlos Romero Barceló to provide citizens with an office that could receive and investigate complaints regarding the proper functioning of government agencies and the level of service...
Rafael Adolfo de Castro Campos and María Eugenia Font González. He is the grandson of Jorge Font Saldaña, one of former Gov. Luis Muñoz Marín
Luis Muñoz Marín
Don José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín was a Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and politician. Regarded as the "father of modern Puerto Rico," he was the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico. Muñoz Marín was the son of Luis Muñoz Rivera, a renowned autonomist leader...
's closest associates.
De Castro Font received his Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Justice System from the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
and his Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in History from the Puerto Rico and Caribbean Center for Advanced Studies in Old San Juan. De Castro Font was also a member of the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
, and served briefly with the Puerto Rico National Guard
Puerto Rico National Guard
The Puerto Rico National Guard is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico. It comprises both Army and Air National Guard components with a total authorized strength of 10,000 soldiers and airmen. The Constitution of the United States specifically...
.
De Castro Font started distinguishing himself as a youth leader for the Popular Democratic Party
Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
. In 1985, he was the assistant of then-Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the House of Representatives, José Ronaldo Jarabo
José Ronaldo Jarabo
José Ronaldo Jarabo, born and raised by his mother in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was the Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from 1985 to 1992, having served as a member of that legislative body for twenty years from 1973 to 1992....
.
Career as representative: 1988-2004
De Castro Font decided to run for an elective post in 1988. He was elected to the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in the 1988 general electionsPuerto Rican general election, 1988
General elections were held in Puerto Rico on 8 November 1988. Rafael Hernández Colón of the Popular Democratic Party was re-elected Governor, whilst the PPD also won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Voter turnout was 84.5%.-Governor:-Resident Commissioner:-House...
. He was 25 at the time, making him the youngest elected representative to that date. He was reelected to the post in the 1992
Puerto Rican general election, 1992
General elections were held in Puerto Rico on 3 November 1992. Pedro Rosselló of the New Progressive Party was elected Governor, whilst the PNP also won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Voter turnout was between 82% and 84%.-Governor:-Resident Commissioner:-House...
, 1996
Puerto Rican general election, 1996
General elections were held in Puerto Rico on 5 November 1996. Pedro Rosselló of the New Progressive Party was re-elected Governor, whilst the PNP also won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Voter turnout was between 80% and 82%.-Governor:-Resident...
, and 2000
Puerto Rican general election, 2000
General elections were held in Puerto Rico on 7 November 2000. Sila María Calderón of the Popular Democratic Party was elected Governor, whilst the PPD also won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Voter turnout was between 80% and 82%.-Governor:-Resident...
general elections.
Independent legislator in 2001
In August 2001, following internal disputes within the PPD, De Castro Font left the party to become an independent representative. There are several versions of the nature and manner of him leaving the party. While De Castro states that he willfully left the party, others suggest he was forced out.On September 27, 2002, De Castro Font announced he was joining the ranks of the New Progressive Party
New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rico's admission to the United States of America as the 51st state...
(PNP) and announced his candidacy for a Senate position.
Career as Senator: 2004-2008
De Castro Font went on to win the party primaries and eventually the SenateSenate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate is composed of 27 senators, representing eight constituent senatorial districts across the commonwealth, with two senators elected per district; an...
seat in the 2004 general elections. The elections resulted in a "mixed" government with PPD's Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer. He served as the eighth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth of the United States, from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University alumnus and a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law,...
as governor, and the PNP dominating both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The PNP majority caucus elected De Castro Font on November 4, 2004 as the Majority Leader of the newly elected Senate, while his friend Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
was elected President of the Senate.
First PNP expulsion: 2005 ("Los Auténticos")
In early 2005, after his narrow defeat in the 2004 gubernatorial race, former governor Pedro RossellóPedro Rosselló
Pedro Juan Rosselló González, M.D., , is a Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the sixth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001...
announced he was aspiring for a Senate seat vacated by a freshman Senator for the district of Arecibo
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Arecibo is a municipality in the northern midwest coast of Puerto Rico and located by the Atlantic Ocean, north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta, and Florida. Arecibo is spread over 18 wards and Arecibo Pueblo...
. After joining the Senate, he expressed his hopes of becoming president of the Senate, and asked his fellow party Senators to support him over President Kenneth McClintock. However, six Senators, including De Castro Font, refused to do so and continued supporting McClintock.
This prompted the PNP Board to expel several of these Senators, including De Castro Font, while suspending others. De Castro Font gave up his post as the Senate Majority Leader (which went to Senator Margarita Nolasco), but retained the chairmanship of the Senate Rules Committee, which allowed him to direct all floor activities in the Senate. As a result of the split within the party, McClintock appointed De Castro Font as chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Municipal and Financial Affairs Committee, and co-chair of the Joint Select Committee on the Civil Code and the Joint Select Committee on the Penal Code.
De Castro did not recognize the party's decision to expel him and continued to identify himself both as a supporter of statehood for Puerto Rico as well as a member of the PNP. The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of Commonwealth law. As the highest body of the judicial branch of the Puerto Rican government, it is analogous to one of the...
, in the case McClintock vs. Rivera Schatz, annulled De Castro Font's expulsion from the party in a 5-1 decision. In a subsequent case, De Castro Font vs Partido Nuevo Progresista, the Court confirmed his right to appear in the NPP primary ballot.
Second PNP expulsion: 2008 (Legal troubles)
De Castro Font was again nominated on March 9, 2008 in the PNP primary by voters. On July 8, 2008, it was reported that De Castro Font was under investigation for fraud and corruption by the FBIFederal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, which was based on testimony by witnesses interviewed regarding a second case. The pro-statehood senator responded saying that he "has never received money in exchange for a favor".
On August 23, 2008, the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
raided the Senator's Capitol office, a San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
gas station at which he was a client and his Hato Rey apartment after obtaining a search warrant from U.S. District Court Judge Francisco Besosa
Francisco Besosa
Francisco Augusto Besosa Stubbe, is a Federal district judge in the District of Puerto Rico.Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Besosa received an A.B. from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island in 1971, then served for six years in the United States Army before receiving a J.D. from the...
. On August 25, Federal agents visited the homes of some of his employees. On that date, he ceased to be the Senate Majority Leader.
The search warrants confirmed the rumor of an ongoing investigation from the FBI against De Castro Font. These events were considered by the PNP's President and candidate for Governor, Luis Fortuño
Luis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset is the governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States of America. Fortuño is also the president of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico , a member of the Republican National Committee, and will be president of the Council of State...
, as sufficient cause to seek his disqualification as a candidate for reelection to the Senate. To this, Senator De Castro Font responded aggressively and threatened to reveal information that could link many members of the party in illicit activities, including Fortuño and his wife.
On September 9, 2008, De Castro Font voluntarily arrived at the Federico Degetau
Federico Degetau
Federico Degetau y González, born in Ponce was a Puerto Rican politician, lawyer, writer, author, and the first Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico to the United States House of Representatives.-Early years:...
Federal Building in San Juan to "turn himself in" after allegedly receiving a phone call that morning from a close friend of Fortuño's, advising him that he was to be arrested that day. The Senator opted to show up at court, rather than be publicly arrested. It is believed that after this event, the Senator and the FBI reached an agreement to allow the Senator to turn himself in voluntarily if there was ever a warrant for his arrest.
On September 10, 2008, San Juan District Court rejected the pleas of the PNP to expel Jorge De Castro Font from the ballot for the upcoming elections. The judge determined that once a candidate has been elected in a primary by the people and has been officially certified by the Comisión Estatal de Eleciones
State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico
The State Elections Commission of Puerto Rico —Spanish: Comisión Estatal de Elecciones de Puerto Rico — is the entity that guarantees the right to vote to the citizens of Puerto Rico. It was created on December 20, 1997 by Law Number 4, as amended, known as the .-External links:* -...
, "he or she cannot be removed for reasons other than those specified by law". Puerto Rico electoral law states that a candidate may only be disqualified if he or she violates state or federal law, violations of internal Party policies are not sufficient cause.
On October 2, 2008, De Castro Font was arrested by the FBI at his lawyer's office in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. De Castro Font was arrested and indicted on 32 federal charges including fraud, extortion, bribery and money laundering. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. His political consultant and aide, Alberto Goachet, 67, was also indicted for honest services fraud
Honest services fraud
Honest services fraud refers to a 28-word sentence of , added by the United States Congress in 1988, which states: "For the purposes of this chapter, the term, scheme or artifice to defraud includes a scheme or artifice to deprive another of the intangible right of honest services."The statute...
and extortion. The case is prosecuted by the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section
Public Integrity Section
The Public Integrity Section is a section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice charged with combating political corruption at all levels of government through the prosecution of corrupt federal, state, and local elected and appointed public officials.-Administrative...
headed by Chief William M. Welch II, and investigated by the FBI's San Juan Field Office. On that date, Senate President Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
immediately removed him as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, appointing Senate Majority Leader Margarita Nolasco to fill the vacancy. De Castro subsequently lashed out against McClintock for being a "traitor" to him.
On the 2008 general elections
Puerto Rican general election, 2008
The Puerto Rico general election of 2008, held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 was the most recent election to select the Governor of Puerto Rico.The election was won by Luis G...
held on November 4, De Castro Font was reelected as Senator despite his legal troubles.
On December 4, 2008, de Castro was arrested and jailed indefinitely for violating his bail conditions when, according to Federal District Court Judge Francisco Besosa
Francisco Besosa
Francisco Augusto Besosa Stubbe, is a Federal district judge in the District of Puerto Rico.Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Besosa received an A.B. from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island in 1971, then served for six years in the United States Army before receiving a J.D. from the...
he has at least three improper contacts with government witnesses. During several instances while awaiting trial, he was housed in the Federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Carcel Federal de Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. On December 21, 2008, in a letter to PNP President and Governor-elect Luis Fortuño, he announced that he was resigning the seat to which he was elected in the upcoming Senate scheduled to take office on January 2, 2009..
De Castro Font was sentenced on May 17, 2011, to 5 years in prison and 3 years probation. He awaits trial in local courts for related local corruption and tax evasion charges.
Personal life
Jorge de Castro Font married Jessica Fernández in the 90s. They had three children: Andrea, Jorge, and Sofía.In recent years, De Castro married attorney Lisandra Delgado. In the midst of his trial, they were divorced. This caused De Castro Font to be taken to a psychiatric hospital due to the stress of the two legal proceedings against him. He was released a few days after to favor home treatment. Later that year, he attempted to commit suicide.
As a result of De Castro's legal troubles and current incarceration, it has been speculated that his ex-wife, Lisandra, could either be charged with him locally for tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
, or serve as a witness against her ex-husband.
External links
- Senate of Puerto Rico Biography (in Spanish)