Chat scandal rocks Puerto Rican government

Puerto Rico’s leadership faces a growing scandal and protests after the U.S. territory’s Center for Investigative Journalism on Saturday published almost 900 pages of profanity-laced and inappropriate private online messages transmitted by Gov. Ricardo Rosselló and nine other major officials. Rosselló used derogatory terms to refer to female politicians, mocked an obese man in a photo with him, demeaned a homosexual Puerto Rican star with vulgar language, and used a middle finger emoji to criticize a federal finance control board.

The scandal, dubbed “Chatgate” or “Rickyleaks,” combined with ongoing recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the FBI’s arrest last week of two former Rosselló officials on corruption charges, has led to significant dissatisfaction with the government. Thousands of protesters marched into the capital city of San Juan earlier this week to call for Rosselló’s resignation. Four others involved in the chat sessions have already resigned or been fired.

Rosselló said in a news conference Tuesday he has no plans to resign before next year’s election. “I have not committed an illegal act, and I have not committed an act of corruption,” he said. “I committed some improper acts and I asked forgiveness for that.”