Travilla’s testimony postponed again

The scheduled testimony of Robert Travilla, one of the contractors hired to promote the previous administration’s Building Optimism, Opportunity, and Stability Together grant program, did not push through yesterday afternoon after he requested for an extension.

The House Special Committee on Federal Assistance & Disaster-related Funding that is investigating the BOOST Program granted the extension—as requested by Travilla and another contractor, Salina Sapp.

Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan), who chairs the committee, said Travilla and Sapp asked for the extension because they have a business meeting and an event in Guam.

The next committee hearing is March 5, 6, and 7, 2024, at 10am, to start with the testimony of the third contractor, Shayne Villanueva of Roil Soil.

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

At the hearing yesterday afternoon, Yumul informed Joseph Horrey, who is the lawyer for both Travilla and Sapp, that the committee will no longer entertain another request for an extension.

The committee reset the dates for Travilla and Sapp to testify for March 7, 8, and possibly 11, 2024, at 10am.

Sapp was originally scheduled to testify on Feb. 27, 28, and 29, 2024.

Yumul said he received an email from Horrey Tuesday at 4:55pm requesting the extension.

Horey, who appeared at the hearing yesterday without his clients, thanked the committee for its consideration and recommended some dates for his clients to be available to testify. Yumul said the available dates are March 7, 8, and 11, 2024.

Horey said his clients will only be available after those dates, but Yumul said they cannot accept that because of upcoming budget hearings.

Yumul said the committee is giving Sapp and Travilla only March 7, 8, and 11 and the committee will have no issue issuing contempt citations if Travilla and Sapp don’t show up. Yumul said they already gave Travilla and Sapp almost a month to prepare so there is no reason for another extension. Horrey said he will notify his clients about the dates.

Rep. Marissa Renee Flores (Ind-Saipan) commended a young man who spoke during the public comments portion of the hearing on Tuesday.

Referring to Michael Mahinay, who introduced himself as a private citizen during Tuesday’s hearing, Flores said the young man reminded them of the reason why they’re here and why this committee was established to begin with. “Obviously, he respects and loves the CNMI. This is his home. And he…would like to see these hearings with the witnesses come to some kind of conclusion,” Flores said.

She said yesterday morning she had received many text messages from people throughout the CNMI sharing with her their sentiment, their excitement, and their interest in that day’s (yesterday) hearing. But because the committee had received some documents at the last minute from several witnesses, they had no choice but to ask for new dates to better prepare themselves as they move forward with the hearings and to get to the bottom of the BOOST Program, Flores said.

Flores said at no time would she like to see any of the witnesses ask for an extension anymore. “But we don’t know what their life entails, maybe it’s life and death. …My hope is that every one of them are healthy, and they can participate in the hearings,” she said.

Flores said she hopes the committee is ready to issue contempt citations if none of them appear.

She hopes they can actually get to the bottom of at least the first part when they continue on March 7, 2024.

“The people deserve answers. And the people deserve…closure,” Flores said.

House floor leader Rep. Edwin K. Propst (Ind-Saipan) said the committee has been doing honest work and they have met several times to go over tons of documents.

“And of course, we do have our fair share of criticism. That’s fine. We accept that there will be criticism as to why we are even bothering with this,” Propst said.

He said there have been evidence of misuse and abuse of government funds and he would like to see what money can be returned back to the Commonwealth.

As for the people behind this alleged misuse of federal funds, he said it is not their job to go after them and try to prosecute them as committee members are not prosecutors, but they do want to shed light on money that they believe should be returned. Propst said those who were paid unfairly or excessively, who have not used the money for their intended purpose are going to have to return the funds and it is up to this committee to shed light on that.

Yumul said the notices were given in a timely manner by the committee and the committee requested documents to be produced in an ample time.

Yumul said he agrees with committee members that they will not allow further extensions for any reason.