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Torres says it’s Propst who’s politicizing ethics complaint
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Posted on Nov 12 2021
Gov. Ralph DLG. Torres insists it’s the other ways around and it is actually Rep. Edwin K. Propst (D-Saipan) himself who is politicizing the ethics complaint filed by Grace “Pitu” Sablan Vaiagae against the lawmaker.
Torres said yesterday there is a complaint and when there is a victim of sexual abuse, it’s not political.
Vaiagae, who was the NMI Republican Party’s candidate in the special election to fill the seat left vacant by the sudden passing of representative Ivan Blanco, had urged House of Representatives Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) last Nov. 9 to conduct an ethics investigation on Propst.
Propst said Tuesday that the complaint “is obviously a distraction” from the NMI Republican Party and Torres on the House Judiciary and Governmental Operations’ investigation into the governor’s expenditures of public funds and travels.
Propst said Torres’ “cronies prefer to distract and destroy and are desperate to change the focus from his horrible record as an inept, incompetent, corrupt governor.”
In his comment about Propst’s allegations, Torres said yesterday that Propst should go through the process. Torres said Propst and members of the JGO Committee are doing the investigation on him.
“I’m answering this question. It’s not about politics, not about GOP, it’s individual’s action. At the end of the day, we need to protect the victims,” he said.
In her letter to Villagomez Tuesday, Sablan cited the 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.
Sablan attached to her letter a copy of an Office of the Attorney General’s investigation and the reported instances of abuse and attempted rape by Propst. Propst has denied the allegations.
Propst also said Tuesday that Torres insists on his innocence yet hires $200,000 worth of lawyers at taxpayer expense.
“He also says he wants us to write to him. Ralph clearly thinks he controls the Legislative Branch. He is clearly delusional,” the lawmaker said.
