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Mondala pleads not guilty to 41 corruption charges
Former Office of Aging director Rose DLG. Mondala entered a not guilty plea yesterday to allegations that she used the office’s funds and materials for the needs of the Covenant Party during the 2009 elections and to renovate her house in Kagman.
Mondala, 70, appeared with her counsel, Chief Public Defender Douglas Hartig, at the arraignment. She pleaded not guilty to 41 counts of corruption charges.
Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja set a status conference for Nov. 25, 2015, at 1:30pm.
Assistant attorney general Matthew C. Baisley appeared for the government.
According to court documents, the Superior Court’s clerk’s office served the summons to Mondala last Oct. 7, directing her to appear and answer the charges in court at yesterday’s arraignment.
The charges against Mondala—22 counts of forgery; six counts of misconduct in public office; eight counts of use of public supplies, time, and personnel for campaign activities; two counts of use of public position to obtain benefits for business or social acquaintances; one count of theft of services; one count of theft; and one count of use of office, staff or employees of a public office for personal benefit—are the same charges that then-Office of the Public Auditor legal counsel George L. Hasselback filed against Mondala as a special assistant attorney general.
Superior Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo dismissed the earlier case in September 2014, ruling that Hasselback’s appointment as special assistant attorney general in the matter violates the separation of powers doctrine.
Govendo ruled that the attorney general violated the separation of powers by delegating general prosecutorial powers to members of an agency that has no such legislatively created authority. The judge, however, allowed the government to re-file the charges.
The allegations against Mondala relate to a period between June 15, 2009, and Dec 10, 2010, while she was the director of the Office of Aging.
