THE House Special Committee on Federal Assistance & Disaster-Related Funding will convene Thursday, March 28, 2024, to decide whether or not to subpoena two of the recipients of Building Optimism, Opportunities and Stability Together program, and Jesus Taisague, former economic development director of the Department of Commerce.
The special panel will also decide on a recommendation to ask Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez to send a statement of contempt to the Office of Attorney General for the prosecution of former Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig.
Atalig invoked the Fifth Amendment when the committee asked him questions about the BOOST program.
In his memorandum on Friday, the House panel’s acting chairman, House Floor Leader Edwin Propst scheduled the BOOST hearing for March 28, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. in the House chamber.
On the agenda is the subpoena duces tecum and subpoena ad testificandum on Taisague and BOOST recipients Alexandria Yuan Jing and Kevin C. Guerrero.
According to documents obtained by the special panel, Jing was awarded $200,000 in BOOST funds for her Saipan Horse Course in Kagman; $125,000 for her Elite Group LLC dba Love Birds Restaurant on Tinian; $125,000 for her Flower Tea House; and $125,000 for her Saipan Goddess.
BOOST records also show that Guerrero was awarded $150,000 for his Covid Care Force Micronesia and $150,000 for Saipan Renal Care.
In December 2022, Taisague appeared before a joint House committee investigating the BOOST program, and answered the questions of lawmakers. He said he had a financial interest in Love Birds, and that he recused himself from the review panel when its BOOST application was submitted.
On March 8, 2024, two former BOOST contractors, Nonstop Corp.’s Rob Travilla and Salina Sapp, were found in contempt by the special House committee. Both invoked their Fifth Amendment right when they declined to answer questions about the BOOST program.
The Office of the Attorney General is expected to issue warrants of arrest against Travilla and Sapp.
Another former BOOST contractor, Roi Soil owner Shayne Villanueva, self-surrendered on Friday following the OAG’s issuance of a warrant of arrest against him. Villanueva was also found in contempt by the special House committee after he invoked his Fifth Amendment right when asked about BOOST.
