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 the three branches of government, municipalities and public corporations and is responsible for reporting findings and recommending recoveries or referrals. Senators said they want assurance that audits will not simply produce reports that "sleep" in files but will trigger recoveries, administrative sanctions or criminal referrals where merited.

Torres Nieves described concrete priorities he would begin immediately if confirmed: an organizational diagnostic before any structural changes, an assessment of information systems, enhanced continuous training for auditors and the publication online of contracts and audit statistics so citizens can see how public funds are used. He said he supports legislation to require exit conferences on draft audit findings and backs a collaborative approach with the Department of Justice to strengthen prosecutorial follow‑through.

On the island’s debt, Torres Nieves acknowledged the scale and complexity of a comprehensive debt audit and said the office would review earlier reports, including a 2017 firm report the nominee referenced, and "if we find irregularities in bond issuances or transactions we will present the pertinent findings and recommendations" and refer matters to the appropriate state and federal agencies when there is evidence of wrongdoing. He cautioned that a full forensic debt audit could require extraordinary funding and specialized staff: "the million dollars currently allocated would not be sufficient," he said.

Several senators pressed Torres Nieves on professional qualifications. Senator Juan Zaragoza and others questioned whether the comptroller should be a certified public accountant. Torres Nieves said he respects the CPA profession, holds a Certified Fraud Examiner credential (2016) and that the law has historically left the final selection to the governor and the legislature. He cited bipartisan confirmations in his record and said his office previously used fines and electronic filing to increase compliance.

Lawmakers also raised concerns about political neutrality given the nominee’s past roles in the Senate and earlier party affiliations. Torres Nieves said he has not held party posts since 2001, stopped political donations in 2004 and pointed to past cases where his office issued findings against people and entities aligned with his nominators as evidence of impartiality. He said objectivity, not party loyalty, must guide the office’s interventions.

Committee members asked about staffing and operational capacity: the nominee acknowledged significant vacancies for auditors and said recruitment is regulated by exams and processes; he pledged to address vacancies but said hiring and funding will require legislative support. Senators also questioned whether public portals would be accessible to people with disabilities; Torres Nieves said he would review accessibility features if confirmed.

There was no final vote at the hearing. The committee collected questions and answers for the record, said it will calendar a date to act on the nomination, recessed briefly and adjourned after completing its business.

The committee hearing included multiple exchanges in which senators called for stronger enforcement of audit referrals and clearer funding for ambitious projects such as a debt audit. The next procedural step listed by the committee is to set a date for the nomination to come before the full body for consideration.