THE House Special Committee on Federal Assistance & Disaster-Related Funding will convene Thursday to review the documents and records submitted by those who implemented the $15 million Building Optimism, Opportunities and Stability Together program.
According to the special committee chairman, Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, former Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig, former Department of Commerce-Economic Development Director Jesus Taisague, and BOOST contractors Robert Travilla, Salina Sapp and Shane Villanueva have responded to the committee’s subpoena duces tecum.
Yumul said the meeting, which will start at 1 p.m. on Thursday in the House chamber, will be “procedural” so they don’t expect any of those subpoenaed to show up.
He said the committee will review its legal authority to conduct an investigation, and set the “rules and parameters.”
The committee will also discuss issuing subpoenas duces tecum/subpoenas testificandum to Marianas Variety, Saipan Tribune and KKMP.
Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez created the special committee to continue the investigation initiated by the 22nd House’s Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee on the federally funded BOOST program.
Yumul said among other things, they want to know how some recipients received multiple sets of funds while 2,000 other applicants did not get anything.
In October, Finance Secretary Tracy B. Norita said the offices of the public auditor and the attorney general were investigating the BOOST program awards.
