ON-THE-JOB POLITICAL CAMPAIGN Teno hopes OIA acts on report

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday expressed hope for appropriate actions against federal officials and employees involved in the alleged on-the-job political campaign at the Office of Insular Affairs which has led to smear campaign against the CNMI.

“The investigation is coming out and perhaps, whatever the results of the investigation are, I hope something will be done,” he told reporters in an interview.

He was reacting on the report disclosed by U.S. House Resources Committee chair Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) which accused OIA officials and employees, including its liaison officer on Saipan Jeffrey Schorr, of engaging in the illegal federal lobbying.

The U.S. lawmaker also revealed that confidential information, particularly memoranda between the CNMI and its lobbying firm in Washington D.C. Preston Gates, have been illegally obtained and used by these officials as a weapon to attack the Commonwealth and Republican members of Congress who are opposed to Clinton administration’s policy towards the islands.

“I was just wondering where are those information coming from,” said Mr. Tenorio.
“Of course, the lobbyists give us some information [because] we have to work with [them]… but we never try to do things that are not for the best interest of our people.”

CNMI lawmakers have expressed concern on the report as it confirmed their fears that some people in the administration or in the Legislature are leaking this classified and highly-confidential information out to OIA.

They have also asked for a replacement for Mr. Schorr, claiming that they can no longer trust their representative here in light of the findings.

House Judiciary and Government Operations chair Rep. Dino M. Jones vowed on Monday to conduct an investigation into the report to determine the extent of involvement by local and even federal officials into the smear campaign.

Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes has disclosed that they already have a suspect who has been feeding information to OIA, which he said is supposedly CNMI’s link with Washington as it oversees all U.S. insular areas, including the Commonwealth.

Mr. Tenorio did not say what will be the impact of the findings to the efforts by the island government to thwart moves by the Clinton administration to extend federal immigration and minimum wage laws to the CNMI.

Mr. Young has asked members of the Resources Committee, which has oversight of insular areas, to consider the report in line with their review of the pending bill S. 1052 that will seek federal takeover of the island’s immigration standards.

“All we have been asking is to give us the opportunity to control our own immigration because we have been trying our best. In fact we try to comply with all the requirements of the law. If we maintain control over immigration, that will give us the flexibility especially during this economic crisis,” Mr. Tenorio said.

He also noted his earlier position papers submitted during congressional hearings that have reiterated the need to keep local control over immigration and minimum wage in order to ensure economic development for the CNMI.

There has been no reaction yet from OIA Director Ferdinand Aranza since the report came out last week. Mr. Schorr has maintained that he would not be able to comment on the allegations.