Ex-Puerto Rico Gov. Says Tipped Off FBI

For former Puerto Rican Gov. Carlos Romero Barcelo, the federal indictment of the current governor is sweet revenge indeed.

Barcelo, now a statesman for the main opposition party, had previously identified himself as the person who alerted the FBI to possible corruption by Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila.

And at a news conference Friday, Romero did a bit of gloating, saying he decided to finger Acevedo after his rival raised questions about his own campaign finances almost a decade ago.

"He who is responsible pays for it," Romero said, using a Spanish adage whose English equivalent is: "You've made your bed, now lie in it."

Romero told reporters he alerted federal investigators in September 2004 to suspicious fundraising for Acevedo's bid to become resident commissioner, the island's nonvoting member in the U.S. Congress. He said he went to the media with the same information the same year, but little came of it.

"There is something rotten there and it smells," Romero said. "To the press it didn't stink."

The FBI, apparently, did smell something.

The federal indictment handed down Thursday accuses Acevedo and a dozen associates of raising and concealing thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions, much of it from Philadelphia-area businessmen.

Luis Fraticelli, the special agent in charge of the FBI in Puerto Rico, would not reveal the name of the tipster but said Thursday that he launched the investigation after meeting in 2004 with a "complainant" who provided specific allegations and witnesses' names.

Romero was governor from 1977 to 1984 and later served as resident commissioner _ until losing the position to Acevedo in the 2000 election.

During the campaign, Acevedo had urged authorities to investigate a witness' claim that Romero received an illegal $175,000 donation. The witness later recanted.

Thursday's indictment alleges Acevedo won the resident commissioner seat in 2000 with the help of illegal fundraising schemes. It also claims he used illegal contributions during his 2002 campaign for resident commissioner, and in his 2004 bid for governor.