Lobster and steak dinner raises eyebrows

Pictures of Gov. Benigno R. Fitial, his staff, and other government officials dining on expensive lobsters and steaks while traveling on taxpayer-paid official business is raising some eyebrows, despite assurances from the administration that they stick to the standard per diem rate.

The circulated photos of the governor, his staff, and other current and former government officials show them having lobster and steak dinners during trips this year to Washington, D.C., California, or other places.

But the Fitial administration said yesterday that government officials on official travel pay the difference when they exceed their per diem on dinners, for example.

The administration also clarified that the governor personally paid for the dinner shown in the photos circulated online yesterday.

The 12 photos were taken from the Facebook page of first lady Josie Fitial, who later removed the photos from her page.

“Judge for yourself—CNMI employees on official travel,” says the title of an email sent by “CNMI Watchdog.”

Press secretary Angel Demapan, when asked for comment, said it should be reiterated that government officials on official travel do not bill the government for what they choose to eat, as the government has a standardized and established per diem rate for all sanctioned travels.

“Should an official choose to spend beyond the limits of the authorized per diem, then the difference in costs automatically becomes a personal expenditure and not the government’s,” Demapan said in response to Saipan Tribune questions.

When asked about the specific dinner shown in the circulated photos, Demapan said “dinner was simply dinner and they were paid for personally by the governor.”

He said some of the photos are not familiar to him, and may have been personal engagements of the governor.

Demapan said it is also “puzzling” that a photo of former Commerce secretary and now ARRA management contractor Mike Ada was inserted into the anonymous email “as Mr. Ada was not at any of the locations with us.”

Among those in the photos were the governor, the first lady, special assistant for budget and management Vicky Villagomez, special assistant for administration Esther Fleming, acting Commerce secretary Sixto Igisomar, press secretary Demapan, former governor and now special adviser Juan N. Babauta and former Commerce secretary and now ARRA management contractor Michael Ada, among other individuals.

Demapan said the administration does not find it appropriate to comment on issues raised behind the cloak of anonymity or on photos that are personal belongings of others and not official photos of the administration.

He said the photos were “lifted without consent from a social network profile belonging to the first lady.”

Yesterday afternoon, the Fitial administration said it has information on the person behind the anonymous email.

Saipan Tribune is not revealing the identity of the individual the administration suspects of sending the anonymous email without first obtaining comment from the individual.

Demapan said despite these anonymous efforts to discredit the administration, “the administration will not be deterred in its mission to ensure that the pressing issues of the Commonwealth are adequately defended before members of Congress, heads of federal agencies and other officials who have a direct correlation to the overall welfare of the people of the CNMI.”

The email sent by “CNMI Watchdog” takes issue with the officials’ expensive dinner due to the CNMI government’s financial quagmire and delayed payrolls.

“Just when we can’t afford to pay vendors, we can’t afford to make payroll, we can’t get our tax rebate/refunds, but they can eat steak and lobster? It is certainly not against the law but it must be nice… Maybe it’s time for government per diem to be adjusted? But who is going to be upset about this,” the email asks.

Early this year, the governor and other officials traveled to Washington, D.C. and San Francisco on official business. In July, the governor and other officials also traveled to the nation’s capital and San Francisco, as well as Utah and Pohnpei, on official business.

Demapan said the established per diem rate for San Francisco in California and Washington, D.C. is $250 a day. This includes expenses for hotel and meals.

“Any cost incurred above the established rate is paid for by personal funds. Thus, we had all spent much personal funds given that most of our per diem funds were exhausted on hotel costs, given the higher median price of lodging in both California and Washington, D.C.,” he added.

The governor is supposed to leave for Hawaii next week to attend the upcoming meeting of the Pacific Basin Development Council, but decided to forego this trip because of prior commitments in the CNMI. He may go to Alaska at a later date.