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House minority awaits Ethics Committee meeting on 2 complaints against Propst
Ethics Committee’s last meeting was Feb. 17, 2022
Edwin K. Propst
The House of Representatives’ minority members are still waiting for Rep. Donald M. Manglona (Ind-Rota), who chairs the House Official Conduct and Ethics Committee, to set a meeting regarding the two complaints filed against Rep. Edwin K. Propst (D-Saipan).
House minority leader Rep. Angel A. Demapan (R-Saipan) said Tuesday that he has not heard of any schedule of the committee’s meeting yet.
Rep. Joseph Lee Pan T. Guerrero (R-Saipan) also said yesterday that he has not heard anything from Manglona.
House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) said Tuesday that he does not know about the meeting schedule.
Manglona has yet to reply to Saipan Tribune’s question as to when is he is going to set a meeting.
Last Sept. 16, Manglona told the media that he is going to call a meeting only after the passage of the budget bill for the government’s operations in fiscal year 2023.
The Legislature passed the budget bill last Sept. 30. The following day, Oct. 1, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres signed the budget bill into law.
Manglona, who also chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, was the author of the House budget bill version.
A lawmaker, who requested anonymity, urged Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence executive director Maisie B. Tenorio yesterday to speak up about Propst’s case.
The Ethics Committee held their last meeting on Feb. 17, 2022, in which the members decided to move forward with the complaints against Propst.
The committee had agreed to get more information on one of the complaints against Propst and to proceed with the investigation on another complaint.
Grace “Pitu” Sablan Vaiagae filed the first complaint in November 2021 over allegations that Propst had sex with several underaged women approximately 20 years ago when he was still a teacher at Marianas High School and an employee at the Northern Marianas College.
Vaiagae is a counselor and advocate for the rights of abused women.
The second complaint was filed in December 2021 by Robert H. Hunter, who is the former senior policy adviser at the Office of the Governor.
Hunter filed the complaint over Propst’s remarks that circulated on social media where he allegedly made physical threats and used inappropriate language against Hunter and other people.
Propst has denied the allegations in Vaiagae’s complaint. He called Hunter a cyber bully.
Propst, who chairs the House Gaming Committee and is representing Precinct 1, is seeking re-election in the upcoming Nov. 8 general elections.
