ROB Travilla, the former marketing contractor for the $17 million Building Optimism, Opportunities and Stability Together or BOOST program, declined to answers questions about it when asked by a special House panel on Thursday.
He cited the advice of his counsel, Joseph Horey, as well as 1 CMC 1307 (c), and his Fifth Amendment privilege in “respectfully” declining to answer questions pertaining to BOOST, a federally funded program.
Travilla is vice president and sales and marketing director of Nonstop Corp., which the administration of then-Gov. Ralph DLG Torres contracted to promote BOOST in 2022.
Travilla was the second former BOOST contractor to appear before the House Special Committee on Federal Assistance & Disaster-Related Funding. The first was Roil Soil Marketing owner Shayne Villanueva, who also invoked his Fifth Amendment right, and was found in contempt for refusing to answer the questions asked by the committee members.
On Thursday, Travilla did answer the preliminary questions of Rep. Blas Jonathan Attao pertaining to his education background and professional credentials. He told the committee that despite being accepted by two colleges, his parents couldn’t afford to fund his post-secondary education.
He said he started working at the age of 15 at his uncle’s tattoo shop. He then worked for the Department of Homeland Security at the age of 19 as a behavior detection officer. Later, he started his own business in clothing and graphic design.
When asked if he has a degree or certification in marketing or advertising, Travilla said no.
He also acknowledged his own written declaration to the committee, in which he stated that he had no additional communications, either through email, WhatsApp or text, with former Office of the Governor Chief of Staff Wil Castro.
Attao reminded Travilla that under 1 CMC Section 1306 (a), a person shall be held in contempt if the person fails or refuses to answer any relevant questions or refuses to furnish any relevant book, paper or other documents subpoenaed by or on behalf of an investigating committee.
“You are aware of that?” Attao asked.
Travilla said, “Yes.”
Asked by Rep. Angelo Camacho about his Nonstop Corporation, Travilla said it’s “a premiere marketing agency specializing in digital marketing, creative branding, business consultation and merchant services.” He said it was established in Guam but is also licensed in the CNMI. He said the president of the company is Salina Sapp.
Travilla said at this time, Nonstop Corp. has no employees, although it used to have four in the past.
When Rep. Diego Vincent F. Camacho asked him questions pertaining to BOOST, Travilla invoked his Fifth Amendment right.
The committee chairman, Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, told Travilla, “You understand that this is not a criminal proceeding and this committee is only tasked to investigate the program which you handled so are you still going to invoke your Fifth Amendment right? Is it on specific questions or certain subjects?”
Travilla replied by invoking his Fifth Amendment right.
House Floor Leader Edwin Propst, the vice chairman of the committee, presented an exhibit indicating WhatsApp conversations between Travilla and Castro.
Propst said the committee earlier asked Travilla about any additional communications between him and Castro.
“Can you tell me what this is?” Propst asked, referring to a screenshot of the WhatsApp chat group that Travilla created.
A WhatsApp message to Travilla from “Chief” — who, Propst said, could be Castro — stated: “Your role is to get the workforce people into the community. Identify ARPA temp hires and move them to our partners and marketing is to cover that…produce ads, etc. I need you to manage the actual program on my behalf. ur the workhorse here darlin.’ Rob and Salina, make it shiny.”
“So what are we looking at right here?” Propst asked Travilla, who again invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege.
Travilla also invoked his Fifth Amendment right when asked by Reps. Vicente Camacho and Marissa Flores about his involvement in the implementation of the BOOST program.
Flores then showed a spreadsheet of payments that the Torres administration made to Nonstop Corp. for “marketing services and other expenses.” The total amount was $323,415.29.
According to documents obtained by the House committee, these marketing expenses included a gala at Saipan World Resort and other BOOST events that Nonstop Corp. organized in 2022.
Propst said Travilla and his counsel could talk to the committee in a closed-door meeting.
“I just want you to know that this is on the table to discuss certain things. I just want you to know that,” Propst said.
Flores made a motion to find Travilla in contempt, but she withdrew it.
Yumul called for a recess until 2:30 p.m. When the committee meeting resumed, Yumul said “after some discussions with the members, we would like to request that the witness and [his] counsel report back here tomorrow at 10 a.m.” Yumul then called for a recess.
Asked what prompted him to call for recess, Yumul told Variety that “it’s both the time constraint and other reasons,” which he did not specify, but added, “tune in tomorrow.”
Rob Travilla, right, with his attorney, Joseph Horey.
