Senate committee questions Manuel Torres Nieves on audit priorities, independence and debt review

Manuel Torres Nieves, the governor’s nominee for Comptroller of Puerto Rico, told the Senate nominations committee on April 19 that, if confirmed, he would focus on strengthening the office’s technology, publishing audit findings and statistics, and working closely with the Department of Justice and anti‑corruption panels so audit referrals lead to action. "Before publishing each report, I will meet at the same table with the auditors, their supervisors, the directors and the deputy comptroller," Torres Nieves said in his opening statement.

The hearing, held by the Senate nominations committee, centered on the constitutional role of the comptroller as a post‑audit guardian of public funds and on whether the office has the capacity and authority to make audits effective. Torres Nieves emphasized that the constitution and the office’s organic law delegate professional‑qualification details to the legislature, and he pointed to his record as electoral comptroller, where he said his team completed 166 compliance audits and implemented an electronic filings system.

Why it matters: The comptroller’s office audits expenditures across…