Travilla, Sapp found in contempt

A House of Representatives special committee found Robert Travilla and his business partner, Salina Sapp, in contempt on Friday for refusing to answer any questions—at the advice of their lawyer—relating to the previous administration’s Building Optimism, Opportunity, and Stability Together grant program.

Travilla and Sapp, who are the vice president and president of Nonstop Corp., respectively, invoked their Fifth Amendment right in response to most of the questions of committee members and declined to provide answers to the questions. The Fifth Amendment protects people from self-incrimination.

At the start of Travilla and Sapp’s testimonies, their lawyer, Joseph Horey, advised the Special Committee on Federal Assistance & Disaster-related Funding that his clients Travilla and Sapp intend to invoke their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and will decline to answer questions regarding the BOOST Program.

In separate motions, Rep. Marissa Renee Flores (Ind-Saipan) moved to find Travilla and Sapp in contempt. Flores said Travilla and Sapp have repeatedly been asked questions and they have repeatedly refused to testify under oath and that their failure to respond is in violation of the law.

Flores further moved the special committee to notify House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) about the matter and ask him to send a statement of contempt to the CNMI Attorney General for further prosecution in CNMI courts.

Eight committee members voted “yes” to Flores’ motion. They are Flores, committee chair Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan), vice chair Rep. Edwin K. Propst (D-Saipan), Rep. Blas Jonathan T. Attao (Ind-Saipan), Rep. John Paul P. Sablan (Ind-Saipan), Vicente C. Camacho (D-Saipan), Diego Vincent F. Camacho (D-Saipan), and Rep. Angelo A. Camacho (Ind-Saipan). Rep. Vincent S. Aldan (Ind-Saipan) was absent.

Yumul said former Department of Finance secretary David DLG. Atalig will be the next witness; he will to testify tomorrow, Tuesday, at 10am.

Travilla, Sapp, and Shayne Villanueva of Roil Soil, were in charge of marketing the BOOST Program. The committee had already found Villanueva in contempt for refusing to answer questions. He had also invoked the Fifth Amendment.

The BOOST Program used $17 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds that were supposed to be used as grants for small businesses and non-profit organizations. Some former and current House members alleged that the money was awarded to many of the previous administration’s cronies.

Travilla completed his testimony last Thursday. He and Horey appeared before the committee last Friday morning.

When the hearing resumed Friday morning, Flores restated her motion to find Travilla in contempt. Committee members unanimously adopted the motion. The committee then called Sapp to testify.

In reply to a question from Rep. Angelo Camacho, Sapp said Nonstop Corp. is a marketing, merchant service, digital marketing, and business consulting business. She said Nonstop obtained its license in the CNMI in August 2022 and it is based in Guam. She said she is the president and Travilla is vice president.

As president of Nonstop, Sapp said she carries a lot of roles, handles a lot of the groundwork of the marketing, directing and cleaning. She said she did have four employees but could not remember their full names—Regina, Nathaniel, Eloise, and another one she could not remember. Sapp said the employees’ titles or positions are assistants.

In Guam, it is only her and Travilla, as they don’t have employees.

Sapp refused to answer the same questions asked of Travilla such as whether she or Nonstop accepted checks in the total amount of $323,415 in three months in 2022 for marketing services relating to BOOST; and about WhatsApp messages between her, Travilla, and William Mendiola Castro.

Castro used to serve as chief of staff of then-governor Ralph DLG Torres.

Sapp also refused to answer the same questions related to the general service agreement between Bank of Saipan and Nonstop; BOOST Expo and Gala at the Saipan World Resort on Oct. 25, 2022; about 16 rooms booked at World Resort; and other issues.