CNMI govt open to Miller’s call for probe

The CNMI Legislature and the Babauta administration expressed no concern over the reported call by U.S. congressman George Miller (D-CA) for a congressional investigation into former lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s activities in the Northern Marianas Islands from 1994 to 2001.

“Sure. That’s part of the democratic process. We need to find out what’s going on and if there’s any law that’s violated, that would be taken cared of for sure,” said House leadership spokesman Charles Reyes in an interview Friday.

Reyes said Abramoff’s hiring by the CNMI government in the 1990’s was necessary to protect the CNMI’s interests.

“I don’t think there should be any sense of shame or defensiveness on our part because we were struggling for our economic [and political] survival,” Reyes said on behalf of House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial.

For his part, Senate President Joaquin G. Adriano said the news about a new investigation is “sad” but he welcomes it anyway.

“I’m not concerned but it’s sad for the CNMI people to learn about this new request for investigation from congressman Miller,” he said.

The senator said the CNMI government “put up a lot of funds back then [to hire Abramoff] to lobby for us to take care of our labor and immigration situation more effectively. …But I hope that request [of Miller] will clear out everything.”

Adriano, who is from Tinian, cited that during the 12th Legislature, Miller had also aired concerns over the visit of two of Abramoff’s staff’s to Tinian.

“There was a letter before wanting to investigate the trip of his [Abramoff’s] two staff to Tinian in relation to the promised repair of the Tinian breakwater but it never materialized. Meantime, the breakwater remains unfixed,” said the senator.

For his part, press secretary Peter A. Callaghan said that the Babauta administration, which assumed leadership in 2002, is open to any investigation.

“This administration has nothing to hide. Ambramoff was lobbyist [for the CNMI] how many years ago?” he asked.

Callaghan said that the international media, including the Associated Press, had in fact requested for documents showing Abramoff’s activities in Northern Marianas during his contract period.

He said the Attorney General’s Office has complied with the Open Government Act request by AP.

On April 14, Miller asked the House Resources Committee, chaired by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), to conduct an investigation on Abramoff’s dealings in the CNMI without delay.

He said the committee, which has jurisdiction over U.S. territories, should exercise its oversight authority “to investigate a variety of allegations of improper behavior, including the overpayment for lobbying services, interference in territorial elections, interference in contract procurement, and the questionable payment of overseas trips for members of Congress and staff.”

Abramoff currently faces federal investigations stemming from his alleged overcharging of Indian tribes.

Miller had actively pushed for federal takeover of labor and immigration in the CNMI in the 1990s.

The CNMI government had tapped the services of Abramoff to oppose Miller’s proposal and to retain the Commonwealth’s exemption from U.S. immigration and labor laws. Abramoff had succeeded in this.