Herrera Velotini donated thousands of dollars to Boris Johnson’s party, according to the Financial Times

While in Puerto Rico by 2019, he began pulling leads to financially support the former governor’s political aspirations. Wanda Vasquez Garised in order to bend Financial Institutions Commissioner’s Office (OCIF), according to an indictment issued by a federal grand jury, in the United Kingdom, the banker Julio M Herrera Velotini He became a major donor to the former prime minister Boris Johnson And the British Conservative Party, according to Financial Times.

According to the financial publication, since Johnson arrived at 10 Downing Street – the UK prime minister’s residence – around 2019, Herrera Veluteni has donated more than half a million pounds, or about $600,000, including that number. A contribution of about $120,000 a day before the general election.

Herrera-Velotene’s donations to the so-called “Conservative” party in English were made through the Britannia Financial Group, a financial services group that provides wealth management or wealth management services and stock smuggling, among other things.

Herrera Velotini holds Italian citizenship

new day It examined UK corporate records and confirmed that Herrera Velutini had set up the group in 2016 under the name Helvetica Financial Group. Two years later, the company owned by the Venezuelan-born banker changed its name to Britannia Financial.

Although Herrera Velotini was born in Venezuela in December 1971 and for about six years was to have his main residence in London, in the corporate records of Britain the man is indicated to be an economist by profession and an Italian citizen.

On May 11, Herrera Veluteni left his position as director of Britannia Financial, referring to the conglomerate file in which other relatives of Herrera Veluteni are also directors. Among them, Julio Cesar and Jose Francisco Herrera.

The banker’s departure from Britannia coincides with the moment when, in Puerto Rico, he allegedly plotted with Vasquez Garcid and former Federal Agent Mark T. Rossini and involved John Blackman and Francis M. Diaz Vos to control regulatory operations in Puerto Rico. OCIF.

In short, a federal grand jury alleges that the defendants—with the assistance of a Puerto Rican-based investor and members of Jared Vasquez’s team while occupying La Fortaleza—entered into a pattern of bribery. In this ploy, the banker will pay for the services of a political advisor to the ex-governor, and in return, someone recommended by Herrera Veluteni will be appointed as head of the OCIF, with the aim of changing the regulations governing International Banking Entities (EBI) in Puerto Rico. Above all, the indictment alleges that Herrera Velutini sought to free Bancrédito International Bank & Trust, an entity he created in 2009, from the corrective actions required by the OCIF to correct multiple operational deficiencies, and prevent the disclosure of suspicious money laundering transactions. to the federal authorities.

Last Thursday, the same day the US Department of Justice revealed the indictment, Herrera Velotini resigned To head the Bancrédito directors.

On that day, the Public Prosecution arrested Vásquez Garcid, while it was indicated that it would begin the extradition procedures for Herrera Veloteni, who is understood to reside in London, and Rossini, who resides in Spain according to the authorities.

Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Patron

According to the Financial Times, Britannia Financial was among the sponsors of the UK concert to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Elizabeth II’s accession to the British throne.

The financial publication details that the accusations against Herrera Veloteni have put additional pressure on Britain’s Conservative Party, which is in the preliminary process of determining who will be Johnson’s successor and what fundraising strategies are in the hands of Ben Elliott.

Johnson, a key figure in promoting the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, or the so-called Brexit, resigned on July 7 after different differences In particular, in the so-called “Partygate”, a scandal in which Johnson was accused of promoting the holding and holding of multiple meetings and parties at Government House while restrictive measures were applied to the population in order to prevent the progress of COVID-19 in that country.

According to the publication, William Benjamin (Ben) Elliott, co-chairman and collector of the British Conservative Party, had brought donations to this community from those who were his clients at Hawthorn Advisors, a public relations and advisory firm co-founded by Elliott.

Elliot’s clients at Hawthorn include or have been Britannia Financial Group, based on several Herrera Velutini press releases. and examined by El Nuevo Día.

Herrera Veluteni has invested at least $500,000 in local politics

According to the indictment revealed last Thursday, while attending Fred C’s wedding, which took place on January 4, 2020, Herrera Velotini confirmed to John Blackman, the former governor’s political collaborator, in a text message, in a text message, that he had obtained about $2 million for his political campaign if he agrees to his allegations regarding OCIF.

As part of this financial support, Herrera Velutini will pay for the services of a UK-based consultancy firm. Executives from the said company, accompanied by Herrera Velotini and indicted former federal agent Mark T. Rossini, met “Fred C”, Vasquez Garcede and others at a hotel in the province on February 28, 2020.

In one part of the indictment, text messages were cited indicating that the said services would cost the banker about $500,000. But in other texts Rossini sent to executives at the British consulting firm, it was indicated that hiring a consulting firm required an initial payment of about £250,000 (£), or about $300,000. Then, starting in March, monthly payments of around £200,000 (US$240,000) will be made or until the general election takes place in November 2020.

According to the indictment, Herrera-Veloteni was supposed to make the first payment directly to the chancellor and the other payments would be transferred through the Political Action Committee or SuperPac, whose name is not known.

The indictment specifically alleges that Herrera, Velotini and Rossini made two payments as part of an alleged plot to support the Vasquez Jared campaign: one payment of $315,000 to the British consulting firm and another of $40,000.

Judging by the indictment, If Vasquez Jared won the primaries and the British firm had continued to advise the former governor until the general election, Herrera Veloteni would have invested or helped raise about $1.9 million in exchange for bringing down Puerto Rico’s financial regulator.

In 2021, when Jared Vasquez did not win the political contest, Herrera Vellotini contributed another $50,000 to the SuperPac that favored Governor Pedro Pierluisi and that authorities used as a ploy to reconfirm the banker’s plot.

In other words, according to the federal indictment, specifically, directly or through third parties, Herrera Velutini invested at least $400,000 through the alleged conspiracy.

Apart from this investment, El Nuevo Día reviewed by Herrera Velutini Donating to politicians in Puerto Rico since 2016, just one year after OCIF began identifying Bancrédito’s operational shortcomings.

According to Federal Election Commission data, between 2016 and 2021, Bancrédito Holding, EBI’s parent company owned by Herrera Velutini, invested another $125,000, in favor of PDP and NPP gubernatorial candidates. .