‘House Committee should look into Homeland Security’
Rep. Marissa Flores (Ind-Saipan) has asked the House Special Committee on Federal Assistance and Disaster-Related Funding to pull documents from CNMI Department of Homeland Security in relation to an investigation into nonprofits who that received over $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
During a special committee meeting last week, House Special Committee on Federal Assistance and Disaster-Related Funding vice chair Rep. Edwin K. Propst (D-Saipan) brought up a request for subpoenas duces tecum/testificandum against the heads and employees of nonprofit organizations Second Wind, Women of Destiny, COVID Care Force Micronesia, and One Marianas Initiative.
Collectively, these nonprofits received $1.1 million from ARPA (mostly through the Building Optimism, Opportunities, and Stability Program, or BOOST Program) with no return of investments to show for it. In addition, some of the nonprofits have since been dissolved.
Flores, in comments made during the special meeting, asked the body to pull documents from the CNMI Department of Homeland Security as it was the department tasked with dispersing the funds to the COVID Care Force Micronesia
“As we know, Homeland was the pass-through entity we had to use in regards to these monies being appropriated. Homeland was the recipient of a lot of these funds, as they were completing the taskforce to combat the COVID crisis. I paid a visit to Homeland and I understand that some of their documents were gathered by an agency that is currently conducting audits. May I request that we gather some documents from Homeland because there are invoices that are yet to be paid under the COVID Care Force Micronesia through DHS homeland security. If we can make that connection, I think it’ll be more than just the Covid Care Force, but also possibly the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and those under Homeland at that time,” she said.
According to Saipan Tribune archives, Second Wind and Women of Destiny (both represented by Grace Sablan Vaiagae) collectively received $700,000 in ARPA funds (both BOOST and non-BOOST related) and have since been dissolved as of this year.
Meanwhile, both COVID Care Force Micronesia and One Marianas Initiative received $250,000 through BOOST with allegedly nothing to show of it.
COVID Care Force Micronesia is represented by Kevin C. Guerrero and James Michael Petitte while One Marianas Initiative is represented by James Michael Petitte and Ivan Mereb.
Aside from pulling documents from Homeland Security in relation to these ARPA funds, Propst also asked that bank records of these nonprofits be subpoenaed and that updated records from Finance be provided to the body pursuant to this investigation.
Marissa Renee Flores
