Senate says Schorr a ‘spy’

Senators yesterday called for the ouster of Jeffrey Schorr as field representative of Office of Insular Affairs in the CNMI, citing evidence of spying and improper political activities that have been uncovered by U.S. House Resource Committee Chair Don Young (R-Alaska).

They asked OIA Director Ferdinand Aranza to immediately remove him from his current post “if he is sincere about improving relations” with the island government, according to a resolution adopted at yesterday’s Senate session.

Offered by Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, the resolution — which misspelled Schorr as Shore — is the first emanating from the Legislature since the findings were disclosed by Mr. Young last May 15 following months of investigation.

The lower house is also expected to adopt a similar resolution which seeks at the same time to declare Mr. Schorr a persona non grata on the islands.

Mr. Schorr has repeatedly declined comment on the allegations, but Mr. Aranza earlier this month defended his liaison officer here as he noted his years of work in advancing the goals and interests of the CNMI in Washington D.C.

The OIA chief also has called the twin legislative moves as “short-sighted,” although he stressed that two separate investigations are currently being conducted by his office into the charges.

OIA’s liaison officer here has come under fire since Mr. Young implicated him in the alleged partisan political activities by some officials and employees, including former OIA Director Allen P. Stayman, at the Interior department which involved the office’s policy towards the Commonwealth.

The U.S. lawmaker said these activities could constitute as violations of the Hatch Act prohibitions against political campaigning by federal employees using government time and resources.

Mr. Schorr has allegedly obtained confidential memo between the CNMI and its Washington lobbyists from Preston Gates from a “source on the island” and passed them onto his bosses in Washington to discredit Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress who are sympathetic to the island’s conditions.

During deliberation of the resolution under SR 12-15, Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez expressed concern on the use of the word “spying” — a term defended by Mr. Reyes in light of Mr. Schorr’s alleged activities here. “I don’t trust this person anymore,” he said.

Sen. Ramon S. Guerrero spoke of the field representative’s action while he was executive director of the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, citing a diary that he claimed showed Mr. Schorr’s role in damaging CUC’s reputation.

“We need somebody [from OIA] who is trustworthy,” he said at the session.
Copies of the resolution will be sent to Mr. Aranza and Interior Sec. Bruce Babbit as well as to Mr. Young, whose committee has oversight of the CNMI, and to his Senate counterpart, Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska).