Gov. Benigno R. Fitial never released a copy of the report, but earlier described it as critical of Attorney General Edward Buckingham, who has denied any wrongdoing. The governor himself dismissed the report’s findings and recommendations.
The OPA report found that the AG committed a criminal violation of the law in hosting a political gathering at Fitial’s residence in Gualo Rai last year to promote the governor’s candidate for the U.S. Congress.
The leak of the report came on the same day that the AG’s office filed a power theft case against the wife of Public Auditor Mike Pai.
Variety learned that the case was filed between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The OPA report was emailed to the media and islands residents early in the morning.
Buckingham told reporters yesterday that the report is not official as no one can say if it is authentic.
The source of these documents, he added, remains anonymous.
According to Buckingham, “OPA holds a powerful and necessary position. It conducts investigations and reports its findings to the governor. Its investigators have access to large amounts of confidential information and are given wide discretion in making investigations. For this reason, reports must remain confidential unless the governor chooses to disclose them. Conversely, I have always been open and forthright about this matter and have done nothing in secret. When OPA launched this investigation, I instructed everyone in my office to cooperate fully. Furthermore, I have gone on record as to what happened at the dinner that night.”
Meet and greet
According to the OPA report — which included interviews from some of the people present in the “meet and greet” dinner for congressional candidate Joseph N. Camacho — the AG’s actions “violated criminal prohibitions” of the Commonwealth Ethics Code Act and Commonwealth Election Act.
The report said the AG broke the law by using public time, personnel and equipment for political campaign activities.
The AG committed a crime by using the name of a government agency or department to campaign for a candidate, the report added.
Among those interviewed by OPA were Buckingham’s executive secretary Frieda Demapan, AGO manager Tina Sakisat, AG investigator Roger Vincent Igisomar and Department of Public Safety PO1 Jeffery Norita and PO1 Jeffrey Bahalilo who were both assigned to the governor’s residence.
Buckingham said he never instructed anyone to vote for any candidate either in his official capacity as AG or as a private citizen. He also never endorsed a candidate and recused himself from participating in the 2010 election.
“I did not even vote in the election,” the AG said.
“While I do not know the motive for releasing these documents, I trust that the public will make an informed evaluation before relying on rumors.
I hope that the people of the CNMI will judge our office by the good results we have produced, rather than by anonymous documents,” Buckingham said.
Acting Gov. Eloy S. Inos did not want to comment about the report.
“I am concerned about the fact that it was leaked. This is serious,” he added
From lunch to dinner
Demapan told OPA investigators that the gathering for Camacho was announced to the cabinet members during a luncheon meeting at the Saipan World Resort.
She said Buckingham asked her to help him with catering and that he would give her $250 to pay for food.
The AG, she added, also asked her to invite all the AGO staffers although their attendance was not mandatory.
Demapan said although she knew it was not the right thing to do , she emailed invitations to AGO staff because “she was just following the instructions the AG gave her.”
She said she asked the AG if he was sure that he wanted to host a gathering for a congressional candidate, which she reminded him was not right, but “the AG did not respond.”
Sakisat said the original plan was not to hold it at the governor’s house. It was the AG, sometime in July or early August, who decided that the gathering be held at the governor’s house.
She said the AG asked her to tell the AGO staff it was a “political function” so they were not required to attend.
Sakisat said she arrived at the governor’s house at 4:30 p.m. of Aug. 28, 2010 but she left before the governor’s candidate, Camacho, made his speech, because she was not feeling well.
She recalled that Buckingham, Fitial, Camacho and former Rep. Andrew Salas sat together. James Matsumoto and former AG Matthew Gregory were also there.
Norita, who recorded the plate numbers and took the names of the guests, said Assistant AG Mike Ernest attended the event.
Bahalilo said 50 people came.
The OPA report was dated Dec. 13, 2010.
