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Fitial, Inos told to release parts of docs asked by Sablan
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Posted on Apr 14 2009
Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman yesterday ordered Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Finance Secretary Eloy Inos to produce some of the documents being requested by Rep. Tina Sablan.
Wiseman gave Fitial and Inos seven days from yesterday to produce the documents related to those that are not subject to the defendants’ objection.
At a hearing last week, assistant attorney general Braddock Huesman, counsel for Fitial and Inos, objected to giving Sablan copies of three documents: the letter engaging the services of lawyers; billing documents and statements sent to the CNMI for the 903 litigation (federalization lawsuit); and payments made by the CNMI to attorneys for the 903 litigation.
Sablan sued Fitial and Inos to compel the administration to disclose where it is getting the money to fund the lawsuit against federalization.
The congresswoman asked the court to issue an order mandating Fitial and Inos to fulfill their obligations under CNMI law by making available the requested materials within 40 hours of the court’s decision.
In the defendants’ motion to dismiss Sablan’s lawsuit, Huesman argued that forcing the CNMI to release sensitive information that the federal government is not entitled to contravene the purpose of a statute that deals with litigation exceptions to the Open Government Act.
