Election Authority Disputes President Chaves' Claims Regarding Investigative Report
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal clarifies that the document in question is the final report of an investigation into alleged electoral financing irregularities.
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Costa Rica (TSE) has officially contradicted statements made by President Rodrigo Chaves regarding an investigative report into alleged parallel financing structures related to his electoral campaign.
Chaves claimed during a press conference that the TSE's report was merely a 'draft'; however, TSE’s Department of Political Party Financing Chief Ronald Chacón clarified that it is, in fact, the final report of the administrative investigation.
The report in question was seized by the Attorney General's Office on January 17, 2025, as part of a judicial inquiry addressing potential electoral crimes connected with Chaves’ campaign.
In his remarks, President Chaves described the report as a 'preliminary report' regarding a case that he claimed had not been thoroughly investigated and which had remained undisclosed for three years.
Chaves further stated that the Department of Political Party Financing operates under the TSE magistrates, implying that the conclusions drawn by Chacón and his department lack finality.
He noted, “That is held by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, a department of a third level, directed by a person named Chacón…” and raised concerns about his lack of personal inquiry in the process since the report's confinement.
The president criticized the actions of the Attorney General, Carlo Díaz, suggesting that they were characterized by a sense of urgency or 'desperation'.
According to the seized document, which was reviewed by local publication La Nación, it indicates that Chaves’ campaign funds potentially benefitted from donations raised through two parallel structures, circumventing the official accounts of the Progressive Social Democratic Party (PPSD).
The report specifies that one of these structures operated through a trust called Costa Rica Próspera, while the other allegedly utilized bank accounts belonging to Sofia Agüero Salazar, a personal assistant to Chaves during a portion of his campaign.
The investigation implicates not only President Chaves but also Vice President Stephan Brunner and Chancellor Arnoldo André in possible electoral crimes related to the acceptance and concealment of these illegal donations.
Under Costa Rica’s Electoral Code, violations of this nature may result in prison sentences of up to six years.
The inquiry continues under the oversight of the Public Prosecutor's Office.
Chaves claimed during a press conference that the TSE's report was merely a 'draft'; however, TSE’s Department of Political Party Financing Chief Ronald Chacón clarified that it is, in fact, the final report of the administrative investigation.
The report in question was seized by the Attorney General's Office on January 17, 2025, as part of a judicial inquiry addressing potential electoral crimes connected with Chaves’ campaign.
In his remarks, President Chaves described the report as a 'preliminary report' regarding a case that he claimed had not been thoroughly investigated and which had remained undisclosed for three years.
Chaves further stated that the Department of Political Party Financing operates under the TSE magistrates, implying that the conclusions drawn by Chacón and his department lack finality.
He noted, “That is held by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, a department of a third level, directed by a person named Chacón…” and raised concerns about his lack of personal inquiry in the process since the report's confinement.
The president criticized the actions of the Attorney General, Carlo Díaz, suggesting that they were characterized by a sense of urgency or 'desperation'.
According to the seized document, which was reviewed by local publication La Nación, it indicates that Chaves’ campaign funds potentially benefitted from donations raised through two parallel structures, circumventing the official accounts of the Progressive Social Democratic Party (PPSD).
The report specifies that one of these structures operated through a trust called Costa Rica Próspera, while the other allegedly utilized bank accounts belonging to Sofia Agüero Salazar, a personal assistant to Chaves during a portion of his campaign.
The investigation implicates not only President Chaves but also Vice President Stephan Brunner and Chancellor Arnoldo André in possible electoral crimes related to the acceptance and concealment of these illegal donations.
Under Costa Rica’s Electoral Code, violations of this nature may result in prison sentences of up to six years.
The inquiry continues under the oversight of the Public Prosecutor's Office.
