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81 percent of gov’t officials beat deadline for financial disclosures
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Posted on May 06 2009
Over 81 percent or 268 of 329 government officials filed their financial disclosures for calendar year 2008 by the May 1 deadline set by law, according to Public Auditor Michael Pai.
Many rushed to beat the deadline by filing their statement of financial interest during the third and fourth weeks of May because, as of April 20, only 150 or less than half of the certified required filers did so.
Pai said another government official submitted financial disclosure after May 1, and 60 more officials have yet to file theirs.
The Government Ethics Code Act of 1992 sets the deadline for filing verified statements of financial interest on May 1 of each year. However, filers are given a 30-day grace period to comply with the law.
“Beginning June 1, 2009, a penalty fee of $10 per day begins accruing for late filers,” Pai said.
The 329 filers include elected officials, judicial officers, appointed department and agency heads, members of boards and commissions, and those who serve as independent contractors for the CNMI government.
Unlike many other jurisdictions, CNMI law does not make public financial statements. Thus, the assets and liabilities of elected officials are not readily available for public inspection. The Office of the Public Auditor can only release the documents with consent from the filer.
The public auditor himself was among the first ones to file his statement of financial interest for calendar year 2008.
