Rota teacher Wendy Doromal, who submitted supporting documentation to the special counsel, said on her Unheard No More blogsite: “I am not even an attorney and I knew that Buckingham had violated the Hatch Act. This man is the attorney general of the CNMI, for goodness sakes. He knows the law.”
The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees in the executive branch of the government, except the president and the vice president, from engaging in partisan political activity.
According to the special counsel’s office, “[W]e are closing this matter without further action. We have advised Mr. Buckingham that should he again engage in Hatch Act prohibited activity while employed in a Hatch Act covered position, we would consider such activity to be a knowing and willful violation of the law that could result in his removal from his employment.”
Doromal said Buckingham should resign.
The special counsel’s office told Doromal that the “evidence suggests that Mr. Buckingham violated the Hatch Act by using the authority of his office to support a partisan political candidate.”
Asked for a comment, Buckingham said in an email: “the Office of Special Counsel has not made inquiries of me regarding the dinner for my office at which Joe Camacho was also present.”
After the “meet and greet” at the governor’s residence, Buckingham said “there were comments critical of my activity.”
“I immediately, without waiting for anything further, offered the public an apology for the ‘perception’ of others who were critical of the event. I stand by the apology. However, at no time did I ever endorse Joe Camacho — or any other candidate for Congress.”
Camacho, who lost to incumbent Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, is now a CNMI judge.
According to Buckingham, “I trust the public knows the difference between making an ‘accusation’ and having someone actually ‘found guilty.’ ”
“Once I receive the actual letter [from the special counsel’s office], I may have further comment,” Buckingham added.
The CNMI Office of the Public Auditor also found that the AG violated the law.
The governor, however, has cleared Buckingham of any wrongdoing and criticized OPA for “think[ing] they’re god.”
