Senate President Refers Fired Family Agency Chief's $38 Million Contract Allegations to Justice, Inspector General

Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz referred allegations made by the fired administrator of the Administration for Socioeconomic Development of the Family (Adsef), Blanca Medina Díaz, to the Department of Justice and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) on Wednesday. Medina Díaz says she was pressured by Family Secretary Suzanne Roig to award a roughly $38 million contract to NOLA Education LLC ¹. The contract was meant to roll out the Star Academy program in 25 public schools across the island, Rivera Schatz detailed in letters sent to both agencies ¹.

Medina Díaz was removed from her post leading Adsef, and by her account, the dismissal came after she refused to sign that contract and a second one, worth about $300,000, for technology services ¹. That second proposal, El Nuevo Día reported, was submitted by Strategic Technology Advisors, whose president, Leobardo Villegas Huertas, is a donor to Governor Jenniffer González and the New Progressive Party (PNP) ¹. Secretary Roig herself acknowledged Wednesday that she was the one who requested that proposal and handed it to Medina Díaz for evaluation, though she denied pressuring her to award the contract ². Separately, outlets including Primera Hora reported the agency justified the dismissal by citing insubordination, while Medina Díaz has said in television interviews that the secretary harassed her ⁴.

The numbers

According to Rivera Schatz's letter, Medina Díaz stated in a May 20, 2026 communication that Adsef did not participate in the evaluation, selection, or award of the Star Academy project, and that the entire process was handled directly out of the Secretariat of the Department of the Family ¹. An official trip to Louisiana in December 2025, tied to the project, was paid for with federal TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) funds ¹. NOLA Education LLC was selected in January 2026, before the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) warned on March 4, 2026, that some components of the project might not comply with federal requirements ¹. The Department of the Family canceled that award on May 19, 2026 ¹. As for Strategic Technology Advisors, the company was created on August 30, 2012, and currently holds six active government contracts totaling $4,953,707 according to the Comptroller's Office registry, three with the Administration for Children and Families and one with the Department of the Family ¹.

Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez confirmed she received Rivera Schatz's referrals around noon on Wednesday and that the law gives her 15 business days for a preliminary evaluation and to notify the Office of the Panel on the Independent Special Prosecutor if there is sufficient cause to investigate ¹. That deadline falls on October 22, 2026 ¹. In parallel, Senate Family Commission chair Wandy Soto Tolentino announced a separate legislative investigation, grounded in Senate Resolution 56, which orders a review of the fiscal, administrative, and operational status of the entire Department of the Family ¹.

What this means for you

Adsef manages federal and state funds directed at low-income families, including nutrition assistance and socioeconomic development programs. If the allegations are confirmed, the case would directly implicate the handling of funds meant for vulnerable populations and could lead to criminal charges against high-level officials — Rivera Schatz himself warned that if true, the allegations "could constitute crimes against public function or the treasury" ¹. For any parent or student at the 25 public schools that were supposed to receive the Star Academy program, the process also leaves in limbo an education initiative that was never implemented after the May cancellation ¹.

How to do it / Checklist

1. Track the case at the Office of the Panel on the Independent Special Prosecutor (PFEI), which will receive Justice's recommendation if there is sufficient cause before October 22, 2026.
2. Check the Department of the Family and Adsef contract registry on the Puerto Rico Comptroller's Office portal (ocpr.gov.pr) to verify awards, amounts, and contractors.
3. Ask your legislator to back public hearings by the Senate Family Commission under Resolution 56, which will examine fiscal management across the entire department.
4. If you receive services from Adsef or the Department of the Family, document any irregularities and report them directly to Puerto Rico's OIG.

What comes next

Justice has until October 22, 2026 to decide whether to refer the case to the PFEI for a formal investigation ¹. The Senate Family Commission, chaired by Wandy Soto Tolentino, will begin hearings examining how decisions were made within the Department of the Family ¹. Meanwhile, Medina Díaz and Roig are expected to offer further testimony, and more documents are likely to surface about the selection process for NOLA Education LLC and Strategic Technology Advisors.

Sources

1. El Nuevo Día, "Thomas Rivera Schatz pide que Justicia y la OIG investiguen denuncias de la destituida jefa de Adsef," — https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/gobierno/notas/thomas-rivera-schatz-pide-que-justicia-y-la-oig-investiguen-denuncias-de-la-destituida-jefa-de-adsef/
2. El Nuevo Día, "Suzanne Roig reconoce que fue ella quien solicitó propuesta en controversia tras destitución de exjefa de Adsef," — https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/gobierno/notas/suzanne-roig-reconoce-que-fue-ella-quien-solicito-propuesta-en-controversia-tras-destitucion-de-exjefa-de-adsef/
3. Metro Puerto Rico, "Rivera Schatz exige a Justicia investigar denuncias sobre contrato de $38 millones en ADSEF," — https://www.metro.pr/pr/noticias/2026/09/30/rivera-schatz-exige-a-justicia-investigar-denuncias-sobre-contrato-de-38-millones-en-adsef/
4. Primera Hora, "Acusan a secretaria de la Familia de obligar a la destituida administradora de Adsef a firmar contrato millonario," — https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/gobierno-politica/notas/acusan-a-secretaria-de-la-familia-de-obligar-a-la-destituida-administradora-de-adsef-a-firmar-contrato-millonario/