In defense of Howard and Deanne

With the letters still coming in regarding the compensation of Howard Willens, I would like to point out a few things to put this matter in perspective. Whether or not you agree with the lawsuit against the federal government and how it is being funded, the statements and insinuations that Howard is profiting at the expense of the people of the CNMI is both incorrect and unfair to Howard and his wife, Deanne Siemer, who have both sacrificed a great deal to provide help to the CNMI.

The governor made a decision when taking office that having Howard on his staff would be a great benefit to the CNMI. This would seem to be a good decision considering that Howard is a Yale Law School graduate, worked in Bobby Kennedy’s Justice Department as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division, was a counsel to the Warren Commission that investigated the assassination of President Kennedy, and a partner in one of Washington’s premiere law firms for many years. He also was counsel to the CNMI Political Status Commission and the first and third ConCons.

Howard puts in long hours, and works most holidays and weekends. As the governor’s special counsel, he works on legislation, testimony, matters involving federal agencies, and special projects such as the recent establishment of the Marianas Trench National Marine Monument. He also is an Assistant Attorney General and in that capacity, represents the CNMI in court cases. Howard’s wife, Deanne, who often works with Howard, accompanied him to the CNMI when he undertook to help the governor. Deanne, in addition to a long career as a litigator with a top U.S. law firm, is the author of numerous books on trial advocacy and was, during the Carter presidency, the general counsel for the Department of Defense, supervising some 5,000 lawyers. She also served as special counsel to the President of the United States. Both Howard and Deanne have continued their close association with the CNMI over the last 40 years and have written three books on U.S. relations with the CNMI, Guam, and Micronesia. They are not people in need of a job from the CNMI government.

These are lawyers who have both experience with, and insight in the ways of Washington D.C., as well as long experience with and a love for the people of the CNMI. To get lawyers of this caliber to provide advice to the CNMI government would require retaining a U.S. law firm and cost millions over the last three and a half years. Instead, the CNMI got it for Howard’s very modest and documented out-of-pocket travel and living expenses authorized by his contract. Although the contract authorized a maximum of $48,000 for such expenses in each year, Howard’s request for reimbursement in each of these three years were less than the maximum. Howard and Deanne continue to represent clients in the U.S., and their commitment to the CNMI has limited their ability to do so. They have a beautiful big house in Washington, but have lived in a small apartment in the CNMI for more than nine months of each of the last three years. Deanne is paid no salary or a wage, receives no per diem, and is not compensated for her travel expenses. She spent literally thousands of hours over the last three years assisting the Labor Department. If there is any doubt about this, the Saipan Tribune should interview Jeffrey Camacho, the chief of the Labor Enforcement Section; Barry Hirshbein, the Director of Labor; or others who worked with Deanne adjudicating and closing nearly 5,000 old labor cases that had accumulated under prior administrations; implementing a new automation system for the Department; and setting up a new website so that everyone in the CNMI can see what jobs are available.

If there is any doubt that to receive the services of these super lawyers in exchange for compensating them for some of their expenses is a benefit and a bargain to the CNMI, one merely has to look back at the pages of the Saipan Tribune where we see that CPA paid its previous lawyer over $1 million in three and a half years, and MPLA paid its previous counsel $600,000 for two years’ work.

While I applaud all who challenge the governor to justify his decisions and account for his actions, let us keep the debate on the high road and not ascribe avaricious motive that are not only factually insupportable but patently absurd to people whose only motive and goal is a better life for the people of the CNMI.
[B] William M. Fitzgerald[/B] [I]Garapan, Saipan[/I]