La Fortaleza Distances Itself From House Probe Into Possible Perjury by Energy Czar Josue Colon

La Fortaleza distanced itself this week from the evaluation the House of Representatives' Government Commission is conducting into possible perjury committed by energy czar and Public-Private Partnerships Authority (AAPP) executive director Josue Colon over the failed temporary-generation contract with Power Expectations LLC. La Fortaleza spokesman Jean Pena Payano said the governor's office "does not conduct a legal evaluation nor assess the probative value of any evidence submitted" to the legislative process, and he avoided defending Colon when asked directly whether Colon's job was at risk: "We are all under evaluation," he replied ¹.

The case traces back to September 3, when Colon testified under oath before the Government Commission, chaired by Representative Victor Pares, about his role in negotiations for a contract with Power Expectations and the Enchanted Rock consortium to supply 400 megawatts of temporary power generation to the island. That same day, then-Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) executive director Mary Carmen Zapata Acosta resigned, stating she never authorized anyone to participate in negotiation meetings during her tenure. El Nuevo Dia later reported that Zapata was actually removed because she "no longer aligned" with Colon's positions ⁴.

After that hearing, Colon submitted two additional sworn memoranda, on September 22 and September 25, containing information that, according to the Commission, contradicts what he stated under oath weeks earlier. Telemundo Puerto Rico obtained WhatsApp and Telegram message chains between Colon, AAPP legal advisers, and the Independent Procurement Office (3PPO, known by its Spanish acronym) that, according to Representative Pares, show information was being withheld from Zapata, contradicting her own public testimony. In one message, Colon wrote to Zapata: "Life isn't easy, but clarifications still need to be made about the agreement with the recommended bidder." The chats also reveal an internal document titled "Lobbyist Request Management," containing information about representatives for both Power Expectations and rival bidder Javelin, despite Colon denying under testimony that he had that kind of intelligence on lobbyists ²³.

Facts and numbers

• 400 megawatts of temporary power generation were the subject of the contract with Power Expectations LLC and the Enchanted Rock consortium, which PREPA ultimately canceled ².
• Documents reviewed by Telemundo Puerto Rico place the financial commitments identified in the communications under scrutiny at roughly $5.8 million ³.
• September 3, 2026: date of the original public hearing and of Mary Carmen Zapata's resignation/removal as PREPA director ⁴.
• September 22 and 25: dates of Colon's additional sworn memoranda that triggered the perjury allegations ¹.
• Osvaldo Carlo Linares, president of the 3PPO, and attorneys Juan Gonzalez Galarza and Lionel Santa Crispin are the figures the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) delegation in the House, Representatives Denis Marquez Lebron and Adriana Gutierrez Colon, is demanding testify publicly, citing their direct knowledge of pre-negotiation meetings ³.
• Representative Pares anticipated the Government Commission would complete a first partial report "next week," including referrals to state and federal authorities and a recommendation to cancel the contract overseen by the 3PPO ².

What it means for you

This case is more than a dispute between officials: it goes directly to the reliability of the power grid every ratepayer funds through their electric bill. If it is confirmed that a senior official lied under oath about how an emergency generation contract was awarded, that undermines the oversight meant to protect consumers from cost overruns and from untested companies operating on Puerto Rico's grid. A possible criminal referral against the energy czar, the person coordinating the government's energy strategy, could also stall or delay key generation decisions while blackout risk persists.

How to follow it / Checklist

1. Follow the House Government Commission's public hearings, chaired by Representative Victor Pares; they air on WIPR and are summarized by the news outlets cited below.
2. Check the partial report the Commission expected for the week of October 5; look for it on the House of Representatives' website (camaradepr.org) under the Government Commission.
3. If you have information about the Power Expectations contracting process, you can submit it to the Office of Government Ethics or directly to the House Government Commission.
4. Check whether your PREPA or LUMA bill reflects charges tied to temporary generation contracts, and keep copies of your receipts for reference.
5. Watch for leadership changes or additional audits at the 3PPO, the entity that was supposed to oversee this contract, in the coming weeks.

What's next

The House Government Commission expects to finalize its first partial report in the coming days, including referrals to state and possibly federal authorities. The PIP delegation is pressing to subpoena attorneys Gonzalez Galarza and Santa Crispin to testify under oath about the pre-negotiation meetings, which could widen the circle of officials under scrutiny. La Fortaleza has already signaled it will not intervene so as to avoid the "impression" of influencing the process, leaving Josue Colon's political future entirely in the hands of the legislative inquiry and whatever disciplinary or legal action follows from it.