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Only 150 of 329 govt officials submit financial disclosures
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Posted on Apr 21 2009
Only 150 or less than half of 329 government officials have filed their financial disclosures for calendar year 2008, barely two weeks before the May 1 deadline.
The 329 required filers include elected officials, judicial officers, appointed department and agency heads, members of boards and commissions, and those who serve as independent contractors for the CNMI government.
Public auditor Michael Pai said only 150 government officials have filed their statement of financial interest as of April 20. This represents only about 46 percent of the required filers.
“But I have faith that majority of them will come in before the deadline,” Pai told Saipan Tribune yesterday.
He added that the Office of the Public Auditor will be sending staffers to Rota on Thursday and Tinian on Friday to notarize and accept last-minute filings of financial disclosure statements from government officials.
In previous years, over 500 government officials were required to file their financial disclosures.
Pai said OPA receives the certified list of required filers from the Department of Finance.
The Government Ethics Code Act of 1992 set the deadline for filing verified statements of financial interest on May 1. However, it gives required filers a 30-day grace period.
Beginning June 1, late filers will be assessed a $10 fine for each day of non-compliance.
Unlike in many other jurisdictions, CNMI law does not provide for financial statements to be made public. OPA can only release the documents with consent from the filer.
