WASHINGTON — Though it’s not clear who’s pushing it, statehood for Puerto Rico has once again reared its head. Democrats think it would net them two new United States Senators and half a dozen new House members, making it a swell idea. Some Republicans want it to, but for reasons that remain unclear.

Before serious debate can begin, the island’s leaders must address the perception that corruption there has run amok, largely due to the machinations of a former Democrat who is now the most powerful of GOP Gov. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon’s aides.

Francisco Domenech, a former Hillary Clinton superdelegate and fundraising operative, has been accused of official corruption by several high-ranking members of Gonzalez-Colon’s government, including Sebastián Negrón Reichard, the now former economic development secretary.

Negrón resigned in May after essentially accusing Domenech of using his office to interfere with his agency’s work and of rigging bids in a federally-funded procurement process.

Domenech retaliated by filing sworn statements accusing Negrón of corruption and conflicts of interest. The whole business, which is typical of how governance is handled in Puerto Rico now, closely resembles the on-screen antics of a Marx Bros. farce. It also seriously undermines the territory’s ability to govern itself.

Domenech denies any wrongdoing, as he did after an arrest for alleged physical violence committed against his wife. He thinks his conduct in all matters........

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