The lies and the press

Yesterday my wife brought home a copy of El Nuevo Dia, which I did not pay for, and later during the day we caught a glimpse of the local TV news. It was a lot more painful then I would have imagined. Here is a piece of trivia, regarding Saturdays END, in 64 pages I counted 42 pages of advertising. 42 pages. Of the remaining 20 pages is what END calls news, 4 (more or less) had to do with the local election. The article on the Gov's new lawyer was basically a resume of this attorney. At no time did the article question the need for this new attorney, who would pay for this attorney fees, what is the attorney's hourly rate, why a new attorney is needed in addition to the stable of three high powered guns with all the paralegals that go along with these mega firms.
Later the local TV news. Some forum in Cayey with the candidates. The Gov is asked about this new lawyer, he replies he not new he part of the law firm. The reporter leaves it at that. He left to Washington DC to meet with this lawyer and made us believe he was looking for parity funds from congress. During the biggest financial crises the United States have encountered in the last 60 years the bozo wants us to believe he is in Washington DC looking for funds. He who is under Federal indictment. Gives us a break.
Again silence from the press. No hard questions.
This is what the press is failing to ask. Who is paying the legal fees of the Governor? How can someone making at most 75k a year afford one of the most prestigious law firms in DC.? What has been given in return for the representation of the Gov.? What are the legal fees so far? What is the hourly rate of the senior partner, paralegals? The costs of the case, because every time the lawyers come to Puerto Rico to argue a motion, the client, that is the Governor, pay the costs of; hotel, meals, airfare, transcripts, stenographer, transportation, everything. Of course the lawyers will not stay at the Ramada Inn, have dinner at at the local fonda, use carro publico, or AMA (its free these days) fly coach, and take their own notes.
During the height of the Miami drug wave in the 80's the big drug tycoons were paying the legal fees of the little fish in order to insulate themselves and guard the themselves from being linked to the drug trade and indicted. The Feds came up with an interesting approach which threw the whole criminal system on its head. The fees paid were confiscated, as being part of a larger illegal enterprise, thus the little fish could no longer afford the high priced lawyers. Furthermore, if the fee is paid by a third party the court could demand who was paying the fee, since the the question arises who does the lawyer owe his duty to, the person paying or the accused. Which always brings brings the IRS into the picture. You see, if the fee is income then its taxable, if taxable you have to declare it. Quite simple.Don't declare it as income and voila IRA violation failure to pay taxes. Can the fee be a donation? To who, a sitting Governor? That should raise an eyebrow or two.
This brings us to the current case of the Governor. Is the law firm being paid by obtaining contracts for other agencies of the government? If so are those contracts being inflated to cover the cost of representation of the governor? If such is the case, the firm arguably is in conflict of interest with the government of Puerto Rico. Its duty is to protect the interest of the people of Puerto Rico, the taxpayers and not the Governor of Puerto Rico who's accusation consists of mismanaging funds of both the Government and the People of Puerto Rico among other charges.
I hope sooner rather than later the Federal Attorney Generals office will unmask this scheme. What is being given in return to the law firm which is representing the Governor? These are legitimate questions which need to be asked and above all answered.
The numbers are not there for the Governor to afford the legal fees.
The press, radio, print, and television will not ask the hard questions. Their obfuscation with the pseudo nationalism the PPD represents is such that they rather give this pathological liar a blank check than ask him the hard questions. They will not only allow his lies to be presented as facts, they will present this distorted and perverted image to the people of Puerto Rico in a desperate attempt to get him re elected.