By Esteban Cabrera
New York: The Central Electoral Board (JCE) has barely recovered from a scandal when it is already involved in another mayor. The newspaper El Faro Latino is still active in an investigation that began in 2020 on the alleged embezzlement of electoral funds for the Dominican elections abroad in 2020 close to 5 million dollars and electoral fraud against the third overseas deputation that affected candidate Yomare Polanco in constituency #1 in the United States.
According to a complaint from a fully credible source, but which this newspaper has not been able to confirm independently, the Central Electoral Board would have hired an American law firm for an amount that exceeded 6 million dollars to be defended in the case of the lawsuit filed by the legal team of Dr. Yomare Polanco in THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA (IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA).
As soon as the newspaper El Faro Latino received the complaint of the alleged 6 million dollars that the JCE would be spending to defend itself, we proceeded to open a new investigation, summoning that electoral court to supply us under the rigor of the Law of Free Access to Public Information, all the details related to the hiring of the law above firm in the USA.
On April 27, 2023, the newspaper El Faro Latino requested financial information from the JCE through the Directorate of Communications, under the rigor of the Law of Free Access to Public Information, requesting the following:
“This is “or the purpose of requesting from you all the economic information of the contracting by the Central Electoral Board (JCE) of the law office “Nicole R” Duclos Covington & Burling, LLP”” Based “n the case contract: Case 2:22-cv-02598-ER Document 94-1 Presented on 04/03/23. IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA. Regarding the plaintiff, Yomare Polanco & REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA, among other Defendants. Regarding the STATEMENT OF NICOLE R. DUCLOS IN SUPPORT OF THE PRO HAC VICE MOTION FOR ADMISSION”.
The “ormation required in this requirement is that the Central Electoral Board (JCE) deliver all the information on costs, travel expenses, and payments to the law office “Nicole R” Duclos Covington & Burling, LLP.”
Attached” is a copy of the contract statement of the law firm “Nicole R” Duclos Covington & Burling, LLP.”
The required information will be used in a journalistic investigation that the newspaper El Faro Latino of the United States opened on the electoral fraud to the third overseas deputation in constituency # 1 of the United States and the economic embezzlement of the funds of the Dominican elections abroad in 2020. This application will help determine how much state money the JCE will pay to the law firm “Nicole R” Duclos Covington & Burling, LLP.” See scr”shots of the email:
On April 27, 2023, at 8:32 p.m., the newspaper El Faro Latino received a notification via email from the Central Electoral Board. It realized that “Your cas” has been received, and the number has been assigned. Of Ticket [0DF-2BDD27D1-000D]. Please keep this ticket number for your files and include it in the subject line (including the square brackets) of all future emails related to this ticket. A representative will respond as soon as possible.” See the”screenshot of the original email:
Based on the fact that the Central Electoral Board (JCE) refuses to deliver the required information and has not complied with the deadlines established by law to give it to the newspaper El Faro Latino, we are proceeding to empower Dr. Fanny Castillo Cedeño to direct the processes and procedures necessary for the JCE to comply with the law and deadlines, or face a Protection appeal on behalf of the newspaper El Faro Latino that could be initiated as soon as this same week in the Dominican Republic.
This is a developing story; please refer to this newspaper for more updates.
