Muña thanks Kingman for legal support

The former Commonwealth Utilities Corp. grant writer Candice Muña expressed her gratitude to lawyer Jim Bob Kingman for his guidance and support as a whistleblower during the Marianas Business Network town hall meeting last Wednesday evening at the Last Shot Bar.

Muña highlighted the importance of legal support in addressing corruption and emphasized the need for the rule of law and due process within CUC.

“He has been a great help for me as a whistleblower. I did not know anything about it. All I know is what was said. All I knew is I’m protected. But he reached out to me in my time of need and he helped me. He helped guide me to where I needed to go. And I’m so very thankful for him for being in our islands and not giving up in the CNMI.”

Muña even likened the assistant attorney general to a beacon of hope in the rule of law.

“The rule of law was an Enlightenment concept. It was a concept that originated after the Dark Ages, when people were living in oppression from these dictators. And the rule of law came about because people believe that, okay, there’s the law that’s above the rule of kings. Kings are dictators. You know what? Your life can be crappy, or it can be great under a king, but most of the time it was crappy. And our nation, the United States of America, was built upon the rule of law. That’s exactly how it should be operated, as well as due process, and one thing that opened up my eyes about it is that in CUC there’s no rule of law, and there’s no due process because there they believe they’re above the law. It’s jungle rules and there’s also no due process. If they don’t like you, you’re out,” said Muña.

Kingman, who arrived on Saipan in March of 2023, introduced himself as the managing prosecutor of the Public Integrity Task Force and he said that it’s an honor and privilege to have that role for 18 months.

According to Kingman, his role involves educating and encouraging people about public integrity.

“One of the marching orders for that task force is to educate and encourage what corruption is looks like what the steps are as it relates to government transparency, as it relates to speaking out, what your role is, what your rights are,” he said.

Kingman discussed government transparency, focusing on individual rights and responsibilities. He emphasized the importance of understanding roles and rights, but refrained from discussing specific cases due to potential litigation.

Kingman encourages the community to speak up and report any issues, emphasizing the importance of collective action in addressing corruption.

Meanwhile, Muña criticized CUC for not considering all options for treating the contaminated water and for blocking qualified professionals from being hired as she discussed the contamination of the southern aquifer due to firefighting foam and the need for desalination as a potential solution.

Muña mentioned the high levels of PFAS in the groundwater and the need for a comprehensive solution to address the contamination.

She concluded her discussion by thanking the attendees and reiterating the importance of community involvement and action, calling for continued support and advocacy to address the issues discussed particularly in relation to CUC and water contamination.

The whistleblower then broke out in a song that told about the bravery and resilience of the people of the CNMI and their commitment to justice and transparency.