{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/comisionado-residente-detalla-escandalo-de-power-expectations-en-hemiciclo", "COMISIONADO RESIDENTE DETALLA ESC\u00c1NDALO DE POWER EXPECTATIONS EN HEMICICLO CAMERAL \u2014 EXIGE RENDICI\u00d3N DE CUENTAS", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "PR", "Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez", "H001103", "hernandez.house.gov", "hernandez", "https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 El Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico, Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez Rivera, detall\u00f3 en el hemiciclo de la C\u00e1mara de Representantes la cronolog\u00eda del controversial contrato de $5,900 millones para generaci\u00f3n de energ\u00eda temporera en Puerto Rico. En su mensaje, exigi\u00f3 rendici\u00f3n de cuentas a las agencias gubernamentales responsables de supervisarlo y anunci\u00f3 que har\u00eda solicitudes de informaci\u00f3n conforme a su autoridad congresional.\n\nEl Comisionado Residente se\u00f1al\u00f3 que \u00e9l y el excongresista Mark Greene plantearon preocupaciones bipartitas sobre irregularidades en el proceso de contrataci\u00f3n el a\u00f1o pasado.\n\n\"Parece que la preocupaci\u00f3n estaba justificada\", dijo el Comisionado Residente.\n\nEl Comisionado Residente narr\u00f3 que el 28 de agosto de 2025, Power Expectations y Reyes Contractor obtuvieron un contrato de $5,900 millones para generaci\u00f3n de energ\u00eda temporera en Puerto Rico, pese a carecer de la pericia y capacidad financiera requeridas. El gobierno les orden\u00f3 formar un consorcio, y as\u00ed incorporaron a Enchanted Rock, cuyo contrato fue firmado por una persona identificada como \"Jhoby Weaks\" \u2014un puesto y una firma que, d\u00edas despu\u00e9s, Enchanted Rock denunci\u00f3 como falsos. Seg\u00fan el Comisionado Residente, la empresa tambi\u00e9n hab\u00eda recibido previamente una carta de un bufete que intent\u00f3 extorsionarla, carta que el propio bufete luego neg\u00f3 haber enviado.\n\nEn lugar de rescindir el contrato o denunciar el fraude, las agencias responsables sustituyeron discretamente a Enchanted Rock por otra empresa. Casi dos meses despu\u00e9s, trascendi\u00f3 el alegado fraude. Tras conocerse la noticia, la Junta cancel\u00f3 el contrato, y el gobierno, bajo presi\u00f3n p\u00fablica, refiri\u00f3 el caso a las autoridades casi dos meses despu\u00e9s de haberse enterado.\n\nEl Comisionado Residente exhort\u00f3 al gobierno de Puerto Rico a rendir cuentas, se\u00f1alando que el Congreso ha asignado $17,000 millones para proyectos de energ\u00eda en la isla. Insisti\u00f3 en que buscar\u00e1 respuestas sobre qu\u00e9 sab\u00eda el gobierno, cu\u00e1ndo lo supo, por qu\u00e9 lo ocult\u00f3, y si el episodio refleja corrupci\u00f3n, incompetencia o ambas. Tambi\u00e9n se\u00f1al\u00f3 las consecuencias reales del esc\u00e1ndalo: apagones causados por la consiguiente falta de capacidad de generaci\u00f3n de emergencia.\n\n\"El pueblo de Puerto Rico merece respuestas y rendici\u00f3n de cuentas. El Congreso, que ha asignado $17,000 millones para proyectos de energ\u00eda en Puerto Rico, merece respuestas y rendici\u00f3n de cuentas\", dijo el Comisionado Residente. \"La gran mayor\u00eda de los puertorrique\u00f1os no somos corruptos ni incompetentes. Como la gran mayor\u00eda de los ciudadanos americanos y de los miembros del Congreso, detestamos la corrupci\u00f3n y le hacemos frente. Trabajemos juntos para restaurar el buen gobierno, castigar la corrupci\u00f3n, arreglar lo b\u00e1sico y volver a encender las luces en Puerto Rico.\"\n\n###\n\nHERN\u00c1NDEZ: FORGED SIGNATURE, HIDDEN FRAUD TAINT $5.9 BILLION PUERTO RICO ENERGY CONTRACT \u2014 DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY\n\nWATCH the full video HERE.\n\nResident Commissioner says the government of Puerto Rico knew about the forgery and covered it up for nearly two months while Puerto Ricans suffered power outages\n\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pablo Jos\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to detail what he called a forged signature and cover-up at the heart of a $5.9 billion contract for temporary energy generation in Puerto Rico, and to demand accountability from the government agencies responsible for overseeing it.\n\nHern\u00e1ndez noted that he and former Congressman Mark Greene raised bipartisan concerns about irregularities in the procurement process last year, cosigning a letter to the relevant agencies that went unanswered.\n\n\"It appears the concern was warranted,\" Hern\u00e1ndez said.\n\nAccording to Hern\u00e1ndez, on August 28, 2025, Power Expectations and Reyes Contractor were awarded a $5.9 billion contract for temporary energy generation in Puerto Rico. Because the companies lacked the required expertise and financial capacity to perform the contract, the government agency overseeing the procurement directed them to find a partner and form a consortium.\n\nPower Expectations and Reyes Contractor subsequently brought in Enchanted Rock, with a person identified as \"Jhoby Weaks,\" described as \"COO-Caribbean Operations,\" signing the contract on Enchanted Rock's behalf. The Financial Oversight and Management Board, which must approve contracts over $10 million, authorized the deal.\n\nDays later, Hern\u00e1ndez said, Enchanted Rock informed the government of Puerto Rico that it had not signed the contract \u2014 that \"Jhoby Weaks\" was not an Enchanted Rock employee, that the company had no \"COO-Caribbean Operations\" position, and that its signature had been forged.\n\nHern\u00e1ndez further stated that before the alleged forged signature, Enchanted Rock received a letter from a law firm that the company said attempted to blackmail it. When Enchanted Rock followed up, the law firm denied sending the letter and denied ever representing Power Expectations or Reyes Contractor \u2014 indicating, according to Hern\u00e1ndez, that the letter itself was also forged.\n\nRather than rescind the contract or report the apparent fraud, Hern\u00e1ndez said the responsible government agencies quietly substituted Enchanted Rock with another company through an Assignment and Assumption Agreement.\n\nNearly two months later, an investigative journalist revealed that a signature had been forged on the $5.9 billion contract. Hern\u00e1ndez said the government of Puerto Rico had known about the forgery and withheld that information from the public, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, and the Oversight Board. Following the report, the Oversight Board canceled the contract, and the government, under public pressure, referred the matter to law enforcement nearly two months after first learning of the forgery.\n\nHern\u00e1ndez called on the government of Puerto Rico to provide answers, noting that Congress has appropriated $17 billion for energy projects on the island. He pressed for answers to what the government knew, when it knew it, why it was concealed, and whether the episode reflects corruption, incompetence, or both. He also pointed to the real-world consequences of the scandal: power outages caused by the resulting lack of emergency generation capacity.\n\n\"The people of Puerto Rico deserve answers and accountability. Congress, which has assigned $17 billion for energy projects in Puerto Rico, deserves answers and accountability,\" Hern\u00e1ndez said. \"The vast majority of Puerto Ricans are neither corrupt nor incompetent. Like the vast majority of our fellow American citizens and members of Congress, we detest corruption and we stand up to it. Let's work together to restore good governance, punish corruption, fix the basics, and turn the lights back on in Puerto Rico.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://hernandez.house.gov/media/press-releases/comisionado-residente-detalla-escandalo-de-power-expectations-en-hemiciclo"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9769769385457039, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}