‘WesPac lobbying vs Pew monument breaks federal law’

Proponents of the Pew Charitable Trust’s controversial bid to establish a national marine monument in the Commonwealth’s northern islands are charging that federal staff tasked with managing fisheries have broken the law by lobbying against the proposal.

The Pew organization’s plan for the monument has seen opposition from many local residents, lawmakers and Gov. Benigno Fitial. Critics of the proposal have said the monument will result in strict prohibitions on fishing and mining rights. Additionally, many say federal authority over the waters would be an intrusion on the Commonwealth’s autonomy. However, supporters of the plan say it will preserve a sensitive ecosystem and will only enhance protections already in place for the area.

At issue in the complaints are efforts by staff with the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council, a federally funded organization, to rally opposition to the monument. WesPac staff have urged local government officials to stand against Pew’s proposal, a violation of laws that bar federal employees from using government money to lobby, local Pew coordinator Angelo Villagomez said.

“The law is pretty clear, they can’t lobby any government,” Villagomez said.

To illustrate this, Villagomez pointed to a host of federal regulations and statutory language—including the Anti-Lobbying Act—which he believes WesPac staff have breached. “A complaint is coming,” said Villagomez.

However, Villagomez declined to say who would file the complaint, adding only that one could be sent to the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which has regulatory oversight of WesPac.

“These guys are breaking federal statutes,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with them being against the monument as private citizens. But it’s pretty apparent that they’re not doing this as private citizens.”

As evidence of the accusations against WesPac, Villagomez revealed an April 16 e-mail he has obtained—sent from WesPac staffer Joshua DeMello to Michael Tenorio of the CNMI Department of Fish and Wildlife—that appears to argue against the Pew plan in favor of a coordinated approach between the department and WesPac.

“Professionally, its hard to grasp because it’s like they are stepping on our toes,” DeMello writes, adding later that a better alternative to the Pew Trust’s plan would be “to put in the same kind of rules but under our own processes (i.e. a moratorium type of deal) so that we know we can allow things to go on again, should the need arise (e.g. expansion or development of a fishery; need for food for CNMI, etc).”

In an interview, Jack Ogumoro, CNMI coordinator for WesPac, admitted to lobbying against the Pew monument when asked directly about his activities.

“I supported, yeah, I supported what the CNMI is saying and that’s a ‘no’ to the Pew monument.”

Ogumoro added that even though he works for WesPac, he is not a federal employee, which could exempt him from the anti-lobbying laws.

Villagomez, however, disputes that claim, saying that Ogumoro is subject to those rules as a WesPac staff member.

Nevertheless, Ogumoro dismissed the allegations against him. The environmentalists lodging these complaints, he said, “have nothing to say other than to spread rumors and divisions within this community.”

Villagomez added that any accusations against WesPac would be easy to prove through a Freedom of Information Act request.

WesPac is already under two federal investigations in response to numerous complaints concerning WesPac and its executive director Kitty Simonds’ use of federal funds, including the allegedly illegal lobbying of the Hawaii State Legislature.