House committee finds Villanueva in contempt

Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Assistance & Disaster-related Funding unanimously found Shayne Villanueva in contempt yesterday for refusing to answer any questions—at the advice of his lawyer—relating to the committee’s investigation into the previous administration’s Building Optimism, Opportunity, and Stability Together grant program.

Villanueva, of Roil Soil, repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right in response to questions of committee members and declined to provide direct answers to the questions. The Fifth Amendment protects people from self-incrimination.

Villanueva said his responses were based on the advice of his lawyer, Keith Chambers, who was with him at the hearing

In moving to find Villanueva in contempt, Rep. Marissa Renee Flores (Ind-Saipan) said the witness was repeatedly asked questions and he has repeatedly refused to testify under oath. Flores further moved that the special committee report to House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) and have the CNMI Attorney General prosecute Villagomez.

All nine committee members present at the hearing voted “yes” to the motion.

Aside from Flores and Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan), who chairs the special committee, the other members are vice chair Rep. Edwin K. Propst (D-Saipan), Rep. John Paul P. Sablan (Ind-Saipan), Rep. Vicente C. Camacho (D-Saipan), Diego Vincent F. Camacho (D-Saipan), Rep. Angelo A. Camacho (Ind-Saipan), Rep. Blas Jonathan T. Attao (Ind-Saipan), and Rep. Vincent S. Aldan (Ind-Saipan).

Yumul said a letter from Villagomez to Attorney General Edward Manibusan will be forthcoming and that they will vote on it at the next meeting. Yumul set the next hearing for this Thursday at 10am, where witnesses Robert Travilla and Salina Sapp will appear.

Villanueva, Travilla, and Sapp were in charge of marketing the BOOST Program.

The program used $17 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds that some former and current House members alleged were awarded to many of the previous administration’s cronies.

Attao had said at the hearing yesterday that “a person shall be in contempt if the person fails or refuses to answer any relevant question or fails or refuses to furnish any relevant book, paper, or other documents subpoenaed by or on behalf of an investigating committee” and warned Villanueva that he may be held in contempt if he withholds or refuses to answer any questions.

Attao said Villanueva has the right to plead the Fifth, but it’s clear that he won’t be answering any other questions.

When asked about his education and professional background as it relates to marketing or advertising and where Roil Soil is located, Villanueva again invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer the questions.

Attao said it is clear that Villanueva will be pleading the Fifth Amendment on every question they would ask of him.

Propst also asked Villanueva if he is unwilling to answer any questions from the committee, but the witness gave the same Fifth Amendment reply.

At the miscellaneous part of the hearing, Propst said they are all disappointed that Villanueva is not willing to testify as they had many questions about not just the BOOST program, but also the Farmers, Fishermen, and Ranchers program that Villanueva was supposed to oversee.

He said they are also concerned about the “exorbitant” amount that Villanueva was paid for overseeing that program. Propst said they had met with the Finance secretary and found out that the contract was not, in fact, valid.

He said Villanueva was paid $215,000 at the very least for overseeing this program. Propst said this amount is actually much higher than what was allocated to the actual Farmers, Fishermen, And Ranchers Program.

He said a small number of farmers, fishermen, and ranchers received a small $500, but as the committee had found out, many others were turned away.

In response to Propst’s questions, Aldan said one of the questions he was supposed to have asked is that the total amount of grant money that was supposed to be given out was $182,000. Aldan said it was supposed to be $500 for each farmer, fisherman, and rancher. Aldan said dividing that up, the actual numbers that are supposed to be awarded is 364.

Propst said the original projection for the Farmers, Fishermen, and Ranchers program, was supposed to be $1 million and what was actually given out was only $182,000.

Propst said there was supposed to be among Saipan, Tinian, and Rota a total of 1,000 farmers, fishermen, and ranchers would be given this and it turned out that only 364 actually received anything.

He said that is one of the many perplexing things that they had seen with regard to the documents.

Propst said they were hoping to go through so much more, but because of time, much of what they had to discuss during this and many other things will be discussed without Villanueva.

He said they were hoping Villanueva would shed some light into the questions that they had with BOOST, the Farmers, Fishermen, and Ranchers program, and other things that they have seen.

“And the reason why this is so disappointing is that at the end of the day, essentially this was free money that was being given out. It was free money,” Propst said.

He said it wasn’t something that needed the most extraordinary marketing that money could buy, yet there was a ton of money that was spent and they hope to go through that and see where exactly it went.

Propst said they will have to do that on their own at the next meeting.

“It doesn’t end here. We are going to move forward with others who will testify,” he said.