Rosa Emilia Rodríguez
Encyclopedia
Rosa Emilia Rodríguez is the United States Attorney
for the District of Puerto Rico. A career prosecutor, first in the Puerto Rico Department of Justice
and subsequently in the U.S. Attorney's office in San Juan
, she has been nominated by President George W. Bush
as United States Attorney. Her nomination is (theoretically) still pending consideration in the United States Senate
, after being approved unanimously in the Senate Judiciary Committee
, where at least one unidentified senator had placed a seven-day 'hold' on her nomination. Prior to the end of her 120-day appointment by the Attorney General as acting United States Attorney, the judges of the United States District Court
for the District of Puerto Rico authorized Chief Judge José A. Fusté
to extend her appointment for four years, until October 12, 2011. On October 13, 2011 she was sworn in to a second term by Chief Judge Aida Delgado after a unanimous decision by the six members of the District Court. This term can only be cut short if her nomination is voted down by the United States Senate, or if President Barack Obama
appoints another person as acting U.S. Attorney.
Appointed by then Governor Carlos Romero Barceló
as a local district attorney in 1979, Rodríguez subsequently crossed over to the federal level, serving in different prosecution and managerial roles within the United States Attorney's office. Her office took charge of a federal grand jury
investigation regarding the finances of Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
's campaign committees when running for Resident Commissioner
in 1999-2000 and for Governor in 2003-04.
Her office was responsible for the indictments of over 90 physicians accused of participating in a conspiracy to illegally license MD's who had not passed Puerto Rico's medical license tests and of ten Puerto Rico Police Department agents charged with drug trafficking, planting false evidence and fabricating cases against innocent citizens, as part of an ongoing police corruption investigation.
Current Governor of Puerto Rico and then Resident Commissioner Luis G. Fortuño accused Acevedo Vilá of using public funds to finance a lobbying campaign to prevent Rodríguez from obtaining confirmation in the United States Senate. In response, Puerto Rico Senate President Kenneth McClintock
on July 20, 2007 ordered a legislative investigation into the matter. During Senate hearings, Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration
director Eduardo Bhatia
admitted that government resources were used to pay Republican lobbyist Charles Black
to hold meetings regarding Rodríguez' nomination.
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the District of Puerto Rico. A career prosecutor, first in the Puerto Rico Department of Justice
Puerto Rico Department of Justice
The Puerto Rico Department of Justice, headed by the Attorney General, has been in existence, in one form or another since Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony...
and subsequently in the U.S. Attorney's office in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, she has been nominated by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
as United States Attorney. Her nomination is (theoretically) still pending consideration in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, after being approved unanimously in the Senate Judiciary Committee
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
, where at least one unidentified senator had placed a seven-day 'hold' on her nomination. Prior to the end of her 120-day appointment by the Attorney General as acting United States Attorney, the judges of the United States District Court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
for the District of Puerto Rico authorized Chief Judge José A. Fusté
José A. Fusté
Judge José Antonio Fusté , a United States District Judge, is the former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, a court which in recent years has seen the influx of three new, relatively young judges, including the court's second female member and current...
to extend her appointment for four years, until October 12, 2011. On October 13, 2011 she was sworn in to a second term by Chief Judge Aida Delgado after a unanimous decision by the six members of the District Court. This term can only be cut short if her nomination is voted down by the United States Senate, or if President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
appoints another person as acting U.S. Attorney.
Appointed by then Governor Carlos Romero Barceló
Carlos Romero Barceló
Carlos Antonio Romero Barceló is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the fifth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the second governor to be elected from the New Progressive Party and also Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001, making him one of the more successful...
as a local district attorney in 1979, Rodríguez subsequently crossed over to the federal level, serving in different prosecution and managerial roles within the United States Attorney's office. Her office took charge of a federal grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
investigation regarding the finances of Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer. He served as the eighth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth of the United States, from 2005 to 2009. He is a Harvard University alumnus and a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico School of Law,...
's campaign committees when running for Resident Commissioner
Resident Commissioner
Resident Commissioner is the title of several, quite different types of Commissioner in overseas possession or protectorate of the British Crown or of the United States.-British English:...
in 1999-2000 and for Governor in 2003-04.
Her office was responsible for the indictments of over 90 physicians accused of participating in a conspiracy to illegally license MD's who had not passed Puerto Rico's medical license tests and of ten Puerto Rico Police Department agents charged with drug trafficking, planting false evidence and fabricating cases against innocent citizens, as part of an ongoing police corruption investigation.
Current Governor of Puerto Rico and then Resident Commissioner Luis G. Fortuño accused Acevedo Vilá of using public funds to finance a lobbying campaign to prevent Rodríguez from obtaining confirmation in the United States Senate. In response, Puerto Rico Senate President Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
on July 20, 2007 ordered a legislative investigation into the matter. During Senate hearings, Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration
Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration
The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration represents the Government of Puerto Rico before federal, state, and local governments, promotes the Governor of Puerto Rico's economic and public policy initiatives to achieve a better quality of life for the four million U.S...
director Eduardo Bhatia
Eduardo Bhatia
Eduardo Bhatia Gautier is a Puerto Rican politician and Senator. He is the current Minority Whip in the Senate of Puerto Rico for the Popular Democratic Party...
admitted that government resources were used to pay Republican lobbyist Charles Black
Charles Black
Charles Lund Black, Jr. was an American scholar of constitutional law, which he taught as professor of law from 1947 to 1999. He is best known for his role in the historic Brown v...
to hold meetings regarding Rodríguez' nomination.
Sources
- http://www.endi.com/noticia/puerto_rico_hoy/noticias/afinan_detalles_para_pesquisar_el_uso_de_cabilderos/250795
- http://www.vocero.com/noticias.asp?s=Locales&n=96408
- http://www.vocero.com/noticias.asp?s=Locales&n=96396