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Zachares ordered to explain why he should not be disbarred
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Posted on Feb 23 2012
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona has ordered former Labor and Immigration secretary Mark D. Zachares to explain why he should not be disbarred from practicing law in federal court.
In an order issued Tuesday, Manglona said that failure by Zachares to respond to her order within 30 days “may be deemed acquiescence to the imposition of reciprocal discipline.”
Manglona’s order came after she received a copy of Superior Court associate judge David A. Wiseman’s Jan. 24, 2012, order to disbar Zachares from the practice of law in CNMI courts and strike his name from the CNMI Bar’s roll of admitted attorneys.
Manglona directed Zachares to inform her within 30 days of “any claim that the imposition of the identical discipline in this court would be unwarranted and the reasons therefore.”
She directed the court’s clerk to send Zachares a copy of Wiseman’s order, along with her order to show cause.
Wiseman ordered Zachares’ disbarment for his 2007 conviction of accepting bribes from convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
“The court believes that Mr. Zachares’ misconduct has resulted in serious injuries to the legal profession, to the public, and to the legal system in general and finds that the appropriate discipline is disbarment,” Wiseman had said.
The Commonwealth Disciplinary Rules provide that a disbarred attorney cannot apply for readmission until five years after disbarment.
Zachares worked in the CNMI from 1994 to January 2002. He first worked as an assistant attorney general with the Office of the Attorney General and then became the secretary of the Department of Labor and Immigration.
Zachares’ indictment was in connection with his work as aide to Rep. Don Young. He left Young’s staff in 2005.
In April 2007, Zachares pleaded guilty at the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. to a count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
According to wire news, Zachares admitted engaging in official acts on Abramoff’s behalf while working for Young, who was then chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
In November 2010, the court sentenced Zachares to 12 weekends in prison, four years probation, 200 hours of community service, and a $4,000 fine.
