The House of Representatives in session.
THE House Special Committee on Federal Assistance and Disaster-Related Funding will begin today, Thursday, the “final leg” of its investigation into the previous administration’s expenditures of the funds the CNMI received from the federal government during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The special panel’s chairman, Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, who also heads the House Ways and Means Committee, issued a memorandum informing Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez and other members of the committee that they will convene at 1 p.m. in the House chamber.
On the agenda:
1) Review of legal authority to conduct legislative research/investigation.
2) Rules and parameters of conducting a legislative investigation.
3) Review of supporting records.
4) Issuance of letters and subpoenas.
In an interview, Yumul said they will once again look into Building Optimism, Opportunities and Stability Together or BOOST grants, which were funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. He said it will be the first topic they will discuss.
He said the special committee expects to receive more documents from the executive branch pertaining to Covid-19 funding that the CNMI received from the federal government.
For now, Yumul said, “we will continue the final leg of the investigation and will try to wrap up in 60 days.”
Documents obtained by the Legislature indicated that $1,053,338 in BOOST funds have been recovered by the Department of Finance from some of the recipients.
Of this amount, $12,000 was returned by former CNMI Republican Party 2nd Vice President Shayne B. Villanueva, who received BOOST money for his Roil Soil company; $50,000 by Allied Pacific Environmental Corp. Director Joseph C. Razzano; a total of $856,338 in checks that the Bank of Saipan voided; and a total of $135,000 in checks that the bank has cancelled.
Yumul said they will issue request letters to Finance for documents pertaining to the most recent recovery of BOOST funds.
The vice chairman of the special committee is House Floor Leader Edwin Propst and its other members are Vice Speaker Joel Camacho, Reps. Vincent Aldan, Blas Jonathan Attao, Diego Vincent F. Camacho, Vicente Camacho, Marissa Flores and John Paul Sablan.
