José E. Benedicto

José E. Benedicto was an American politician and acting governor of Puerto Rico in 1921 .

Career

José Benedicto studied at the University of Madrid. After a subsequent law degree at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and his admission as a lawyer in 1902, he began to work in Puerto Rico in his new profession. There he was also temporarily district attorney in Arecibo . He also taught law at the University of Puerto Rico . In 1908 he was appointed Treasurer of Puerto Rico. During the First World War he promoted the sale of war bonds. Almost $ 10 million was earned. He also led a legal battle against the tobacco industry in Puerto Rico that was only ruled in his favor by the United States Supreme Court in 1924 .

In 1921, José Benedicto was appointed acting governor of Puerto Rico. He bridged the time between the end of the term of office of his predecessor Arthur Yager and the inauguration of the new governor Emmet Montgomery Reily . Shortly after Reily took office, Benedicto was charged with corruption and dismissed from the office of finance minister. However, he was later acquitted. Nothing is known about his further résumé.

Web links

• The Political Graveyard