Geo Ends Fiscal Year With Hikes In Ethics Complaints Pr Informa

GEO ends fiscal year with hikes in ethics complaints - The San Juan Daily Star - Jul 22, 2025 - 2 min read By The Star Staff The Puerto Rico Government Ethics Office (GEO) concluded the 2024-2025 fiscal year with a significant increase in the number of complaints filed and resolutions issued. Currently, there are 70 active complaints, eight of which are directed against sitting mayors. The remainder involve employees of public agencies and corporations, highlighting the extensive scope of ethics investigations at all levels of government on the island.

“These results reaffirm the message that no one is above the ethical framework,” GEO Executive Director Luis A. Pérez Vargas stated. “We have strengthened our oversight tools, and the country is witnessing this reflected in concrete actions.” Additionally, the official said, the GEO made a substantial and lasting impact through its educational initiatives, reinforcing its role in promoting public integrity.

During the aforementioned fiscal year, the GEO filed 86 complaints, an increase from 64 in the previous year, and issued 98 resolutions, surpassing the 70 resolutions from the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Regarding the success of its decisions, the GEO prevailed in 99% of the resolutions where fines were imposed. Of all the cases that underwent judicial review, the GEO prevailed in 75%. The GEO imposed sanctions totaling $255,000 in fines and $77,122.21 in restitution.

By the end of the fiscal year, it collected $244,900.82 in fines and $18,353.16 in restitution, amounting to a total of $263,253.98. The money was directly transferred to the Puerto Rico government’s General Fund. Although the amount collected remained consistent with the previous year, the data indicates a stable level of compliance with imposed sanctions and effective execution of administrative processes. The GEO has identified all its debtors. The Administrative Investigations and Prosecutions Area (AIPA) addressed 1,130 ethical concerns, of which 442 were formally accepted.

Currently, it is handling 424 ongoing investigations, demonstrating the office’s agility in responding to potential ethical violations. “Oversight does not distinguish between hierarchies,” Pérez Vargas said. “Public ethics demands that all public officials respond transparently and responsibly for their actions.” The official noted that the GEO also made significant strides in ethics education through the Center for the Development of Ethical Thought (CDPE), impacting 128,497 public officials with various educational initiatives.

Key figures for the fiscal year include: * 258 in-person sessions with 9,001 participants * 624 online training sessions with 11,023 participants * 94 alternative online training methods reaching 64,861 participants * 4,685 training validations, resulting in 43,612 additional participants. Moreover, the GEO promoted strategic partnerships, including an agreement with the University of Puerto Rico to establish the Academy on Ethics in the Integration of Artificial Intelligence, a pioneering initiative aimed at developing ethical criteria for the use of new technologies in public service.

Additionally, the GEO strengthened its supervised legal internship program in collaboration with the Inter-American University School of Law, focusing on cultivating a new generation of ethical professionals. The GEO also launched a municipal governance pilot program in the municipalities of Ciales and Cidra.

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