Following Nawat Itsaragrisil's revelations about banking transactions related to Miss Universe, the case has now reached the Puerto Rican Legislature. The House of Representatives has a resolution calling for an investigation into the contract, disbursements, and use of the $8,7 million of public funds committed to the pageant , while Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz is also demanding answers. A congressional inquiry could lead to the production of contracts, financial documents, and the summoning of witnesses.
With less than two months to go before the 75th anniversary of Miss Universe, the financial crisis tearing the organization apart is taking on an institutional dimension. Questions about the whereabouts of the $8,7 million pledged by Puerto Rico are no longer confined to the pageant's organizers; they are now officially being raised with Puerto Rican elected officials.
On September 14, Representative Lisie J. Burgos Muñiz , the House spokesperson for Proyecto Dignidad, introduced House Resolution 801. The resolution calls on the House of Representatives' Governing Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into the contract between the Puerto Rican government and Miss Universe, its terms and conditions, and the disbursement process for public funds intended for the pageant scheduled for November. Legally, this is a resolution of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives, not a Senate resolution.
The resolution also calls for a review of documents held or obtained by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company's Finance Department regarding payments made to Miss Universe, as well as all matters related to the contracting and organization of the pageant at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. Contracts, supporting documents, recipient accounts, and disbursements may now be central to parliamentary proceedings.
$8,7 million of public money: The House wants the accounts
Puerto Rico has committed $8,7 million of public funds to Miss Universe 2026. The Puerto Rico Tourism Company states that it has processed payments made to date after verifying contractual terms and corresponding supporting documentation. Its executive director, Williantte Robles Cancel, therefore defends the compliance of the disbursements already made.
But Nawat Itsaragrisil's revelations shifted the debate to the actual destination of the money. The Thai leader made public bank transactions that he presented as originating directly from the bank, showing two payments from Puerto Rico, of $1 million and then $2 million, followed by withdrawals of more than $3,27 million.
The published documents show exactly $3,279,043.15 in outgoing transactions . Among them is a $300,000 transfer with Raúl Rocha Cantú as the beneficiary, as well as a $295,236.07 transaction bearing his name and indicating a mortgage payment. Other transactions of $279,612.28, $200,000, and $350,000 appear subsequently, along with a second series of eight transfers totaling over $1,6 million.
Nawat had previously summarized what he claims to have discovered in three words: "The money is gone." He had already accused Raúl Rocha of using some of the money related to Miss Universe for his own benefit . Resolution 801 of the Chamber now brings the issue of these financial flows directly before the House of Representatives.
Lisie Burgos Muñiz clearly justifies her approach: “When there are conflicting accounts regarding the use of public funds, this Chamber’s responsibility is clear: to investigate and ensure that the public is certain that the money was paid in accordance with the contract.” The representative points out that this is an $8,7 million investment and requests that the investigation establish, based on supporting documents, the possible existence of embezzlement, fraud, or other wrongdoing. An additional million dollars was sent on September 10.
While the initial millions are already at the heart of Nawat's revelations, the payments continue. A new invoice for $1 million was requested on September 2nd by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company , while $4,3 million had already been paid out in connection with Miss Universe.
On September 10, eight days after the invoice request, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company indicated that payment was being processed. The message reads: “Payment is being processed. We will send you confirmation soon.”
This million was to be deposited into a new bank account opened for Miss Universe by Raúl Rocha or by individuals authorized by his team , according to the documents reviewed. The entire Miss Universe board was not involved in opening this account, and MU East, which represents the other shareholder group, reportedly did not participate in its setup or approve the new bank details.
The parliamentary resolution therefore takes on an additional dimension. It is no longer simply a matter of examining the total amount of $8,7 million, but of being able to trace the different installments paid, the accounts used, the beneficiaries, the people who authorized the payments and the contractual clauses to which each disbursement is linked.
Contracts, accounts, witnesses: the Chamber has investigative powers
If Resolution 801 of the Chamber leads to the requested investigation, the work will not be limited to public statements. Puerto Rican law empowers the Legislative Assembly, both Houses, and their committees to summon witnesses and request books, records, documents, and other items related to a parliamentary inquiry.
When a duly summoned witness refuses to appear, answer questions, or produce the requested documents, the president or vice-president of the relevant chamber may request the intervention of the San Juan Court of First Instance. The court may order the witness's appearance or the production of the documents; failure to comply with this judicial order may then be sanctioned under the law of desacato civil , civil contempt of court.
This power was used again in 2026. In April, in a Senate inquiry into the Carolina landfill, a Department of Natural Resources official appeared after a court ordered him to appear under threat of civil disqualification.
An investigation into Miss Universe could lead to hearings with the organization's officials, representatives of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, those who authorized disbursements or received payments, and anyone with information about the financial transactions. Officials could directly request contracts, supporting documents, bank account details, and any other documents that would allow them to trace the millions of dollars paid by Puerto Rico.
Raúl Rocha: a second arrest warrant issued in Mexico
Raúl Rocha Cantú's name appears directly in several transactions published by Nawat. Alongside the battle over the Miss Universe accounts, the organization's co-owner is facing several legal proceedings in Mexico.
In December 2025, the General Tax Authority of the Republic (FGR) revoked Rocha's status as a cooperating witness after he failed to appear at several summonses and obtained a new arrest warrant in an organized crime investigation linked to arms and hydrocarbon trafficking. The FGR then classified him as a fugitive from justice.
In August 2026, a second arrest warrant targeting Raúl Rocha Cantú was issued . This new proceeding implicates Rocha and two other entrepreneurs in an investigation focusing on, among other things, operations involving illicitly sourced funds and money laundering.
These proceedings are separate from the Puerto Rican parliamentary case and do not constitute convictions. However, they place Raúl Rocha in a unique legal situation at a time when his name appears in bank transactions published by Nawat and the Puerto Rican Chamber of Deputies wants to examine the disbursement of millions of dollars of public funds.
In the Senate, Thomas Rivera Schatz denounced the situation as "scandalous and unacceptable".
The pressure isn't coming solely from the House of Representatives. Puerto Rican Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz has also publicly demanded an explanation for the $8,7 million spent on Miss Universe , comparing the resources allocated to the competition to the difficulties faced in providing medical services in Culebra. The Senate President had already placed the Miss Universe millions at the heart of the political debate.
Rivera Schatz emphasized that the funds for the competition had been secured while uncertainties remained regarding healthcare in Culebra. He concluded his message by calling the situation "outrageous and unacceptable" and demanding an explanation of the amount, purpose, and use of public funds.
The institutional distinction is now clear. In the House of Representatives, Resolution 801 formally requests that the Government Commission investigate the contract, its clauses, and the disbursements. In the Senate, its president publicly demands an accounting of the $8,7 million.
Two months before the 75th anniversary, millions arrive at Parliament
The schedule makes the process particularly tight. The final of the 75th Miss Universe pageant is scheduled for November 24, 2026 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot , following the National Costume Show on November 21 and the preliminary competition on November 22.
With just weeks to go before this anniversary edition, Puerto Rico has committed $8,7 million to host the contest, $4,3 million had already been paid , another million was being paid on September 10, Nawat has published more than $3,27 million in outgoing movements and the House of Representatives is now considering a resolution directly targeting the contracts and disbursements.
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company maintains that the payments were processed after verification of contractual terms and supporting documentation. However, Senate Resolution 801 now paves the way for a parliamentary review of these same documents, while Thomas Rivera Schatz is simultaneously demanding explanations from the Senate.
With less than two months until the final, the $8,7 million pledged by Puerto Rico, the payments already made, the new million launched in September, the bank accounts used and the transactions bearing the name of Raúl Rocha are no longer just an internal Miss Universe war: they are now at the heart of a formal parliamentary process in the House of Representatives and a public demand for accountability in the Senate.
