James Robert Kingman
THE Office of the Attorney General will not renew Assistant Attorney General James Robert Kingman’s employment contract, which will expire on July 2, 2025.
The cases he has been handling have been reassigned to other government attorneys, Variety learned.
Kingman confirmed that his contract with the OAG will not be renewed. He declined to comment further.
In a letter dated May 2, 2025, AG Edward Manibusan informed Kingman that, “After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that your contract will not be renewed beyond [July 2].”
“I appreciate your contributions and dedication during your employment with the CNMI Office of the Attorney General, and I thank you for your efforts, commitment, and service to the people of the Commonwealth,” the AG added.
Kingman was originally hired by the AG’s office as a special prosecutor in its misconduct-in-office case against former Gov. Ralph DLG Torres pertaining to first-class travel.
On June 20, 2023, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios informed the Legislature that he had certified and approved Kingman’s employment as an assistant attorney general with an annual salary of $85,000.
Five days later, the AG’s office announced that Kingman would head a task force to investigate and prosecute government corruption, white collar, and financial crimes.
In the case against the former governor, Judge Pro Tem Arthur Barcinas disqualified the CNMI Office of the Attorney General, including Kingman, from prosecuting Torres. The OAG has appealed the ruling to the CNMI Supreme Court, which has scheduled oral arguments for May 27 at 10:30 a.m.
Recently, Kingman successfully prosecuted a criminal case against former Chief of Parole Nick Reyes and co-defendant, F&S Corporation owner Chuilian Fu. The jury found Reyes guilty of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, conspiracy to commit theft by deception, and theft by deception while Fu was found guilty of conspiracy to commit theft by deception, and theft by deception.
They will be sentenced on July 22, 2025.
