{"@context":["https:\/\/www.w3.org\/ns\/activitystreams",{"Hashtag":"as:Hashtag","sensitive":"as:sensitive"}],"type":"Article","attachment":[{"type":"Image","url":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/BOOST-program-marketing-materials.png","mediaType":"image\/png","name":"BOOST program marketing materials. Photo credit: Composite image by Pasquines"}],"attributedTo":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/?author=0","content":"\u003Cp\u003EDavid Atalig, the secretary of the Department of Treasury under the Northern Mariana Islands\u2019 previous gubernatorial administration, appeared in court on March 12 to account for the allocation of the commonwealth\u2019s BOOST program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pasquines.us\/2023\/10\/13\/northern-mariana-islands-weathers-typhoon-bolaven\/\u0022\u003EBOOST\u003C\/a\u003E, or Building Optimism, Opportunities, and Stability Together, was a grant allocation program for small businesses and individuals designed to stimulate the Northern Marianas economy first initiated under former Governor Ralph Torres (R). But both the BOOST program, and the administration which implemented it have been followed by accusations of corruption and mismanagement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn December 2022, the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/ex-finance-chief-invokes-5th-amendment\/article_5e412248-e052-11ee-a646-df90213f3c21.html\u0022\u003Eopened an inquiry\u003C\/a\u003E into the allocation and administration of the BOOST program. They began by calling on Secretary Atalig, who managed the program, to testify on how BOOST grants were administrated. At the time, Atalig \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kuam.com\/story\/47995118\/cnmi-finance-chief-says-theres-nothing-to-hide-in-boost-program\u0022\u003Eclaimed \u003C\/a\u003Ehe had \u201cnothing to hide,\u201d yet \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/ex-finance-chief-invokes-5th-amendment\/article_5e412248-e052-11ee-a646-df90213f3c21.html\u0022\u003Enever did testify\u003C\/a\u003E, first saying he was out of town and next that he was unable to acquire legal counsel in time. The first wave of House investigations coincided with allegations that the Bank of Saipan, which administered the funds, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pacificislandtimes.com\/post\/bank-of-saipan-received-500k-from-cnmi-boost-program\u0022\u003Eapplied\u003C\/a\u003E for and received boost programs itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn October 2023, citizens \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/zajradhara-sues-boost-adjudicators-over-misuse-of-arpa-funds\/article_eb1bae8e-6296-11ee-81d2-1fe45040b91d.html\u0022\u003Esued\u003C\/a\u003E David Atalig as the administrator of the BOOST program, alleging he had systematically approved grants for his friends and family while denying more legitimate requests. At the same time, due to that lawsuit and broader fears of mismanagement, the House \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/house-committee-resumes-meeting-on-probe-into-boost-program\/article_242f9fde-6286-11ee-b185-d38d22bc2aef.html\u0022\u003Eresumed\u003C\/a\u003E its investigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtalig finally took the stand this March to account for the BOOST program\u2019s management. Yet his testimony was not as illuminating as the House had hoped. He \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/ex-finance-chief-invokes-5th-amendment\/article_5e412248-e052-11ee-a646-df90213f3c21.html\u0022\u003Einvoked\u003C\/a\u003E his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination in response to every single question, including basic, procedural inquiries such as the amount of funding BOOST received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The House of Representatives did not appreciate Atalig\u2019s silence, and a special committee composed of six independents and one Democrat \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/ex-finance-chief-david-atalig-is-found-in-contempt\/article_8204e7bc-e117-11ee-a8ad-d7dd17a2a73d.html\u0022\u003Evoted unanimously\u003C\/a\u003E to hold Atalig in contempt of the House.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese allegations and investigations are new to neither Atalig nor his former boss, previous Governor Ralph Torres (R). In 2022, Torres \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pasquines.us\/2022\/08\/10\/northern-mariana-islands-customs-directors-reassignment-raises-questions-of-political-corruption\/\u0022\u003Efaced \u003C\/a\u003Eboth criminal charges and impeachment for misusing government funds. At the same time, Atalig \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pasquines.us\/2022\/08\/10\/northern-mariana-islands-customs-directors-reassignment-raises-questions-of-political-corruption\/\u0022\u003Efaced lawsuits\u003C\/a\u003E for reassigning and effectively demoting a government employee who had been critical of the Torres administration. The BOOST program, which had been inert for over a year, was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pasquines.us\/2023\/10\/13\/northern-mariana-islands-weathers-typhoon-bolaven\/\u0022\u003Ecanceled\u003C\/a\u003E as soon as Governor Arnold Palacios took office in January 2023. Yet the widespread anger, House hearings, and criminal charges following both the program and the administration that delivered it suggest that it has left a political wake that will endure beyond its expiry date.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022et_social_bottom_trigger\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","context":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/wp-json\/activitypub\/1.0\/posts\/22696\/context","contentMap":{"en":"\u003Cp\u003EDavid Atalig, the secretary of the Department of Treasury under the Northern Mariana Islands\u2019 previous gubernatorial administration, appeared in court on March 12 to account for the allocation of the commonwealth\u2019s BOOST program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pasquines.us\/2023\/10\/13\/northern-mariana-islands-weathers-typhoon-bolaven\/\u0022\u003EBOOST\u003C\/a\u003E, or Building Optimism, Opportunities, and Stability Together, was a grant allocation program for small businesses and individuals designed to stimulate the Northern Marianas economy first initiated under former Governor Ralph Torres (R). But both the BOOST program, and the administration which implemented it have been followed by accusations of corruption and mismanagement.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn December 2022, the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/ex-finance-chief-invokes-5th-amendment\/article_5e412248-e052-11ee-a646-df90213f3c21.html\u0022\u003Eopened an inquiry\u003C\/a\u003E into the allocation and administration of the BOOST program. They began by calling on Secretary Atalig, who managed the program, to testify on how BOOST grants were administrated. At the time, Atalig \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kuam.com\/story\/47995118\/cnmi-finance-chief-says-theres-nothing-to-hide-in-boost-program\u0022\u003Eclaimed \u003C\/a\u003Ehe had \u201cnothing to hide,\u201d yet \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/ex-finance-chief-invokes-5th-amendment\/article_5e412248-e052-11ee-a646-df90213f3c21.html\u0022\u003Enever did testify\u003C\/a\u003E, first saying he was out of town and next that he was unable to acquire legal counsel in time. The first wave of House investigations coincided with allegations that the Bank of Saipan, which administered the funds, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pacificislandtimes.com\/post\/bank-of-saipan-received-500k-from-cnmi-boost-program\u0022\u003Eapplied\u003C\/a\u003E for and received boost programs itself.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn October 2023, citizens \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/zajradhara-sues-boost-adjudicators-over-misuse-of-arpa-funds\/article_eb1bae8e-6296-11ee-81d2-1fe45040b91d.html\u0022\u003Esued\u003C\/a\u003E David Atalig as the administrator of the BOOST program, alleging he had systematically approved grants for his friends and family while denying more legitimate requests. At the same time, due to that lawsuit and broader fears of mismanagement, the House \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/house-committee-resumes-meeting-on-probe-into-boost-program\/article_242f9fde-6286-11ee-b185-d38d22bc2aef.html\u0022\u003Eresumed\u003C\/a\u003E its investigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAtalig finally took the stand this March to account for the BOOST program\u2019s management. Yet his testimony was not as illuminating as the House had hoped. He \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/ex-finance-chief-invokes-5th-amendment\/article_5e412248-e052-11ee-a646-df90213f3c21.html\u0022\u003Einvoked\u003C\/a\u003E his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination in response to every single question, including basic, procedural inquiries such as the amount of funding BOOST received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The House of Representatives did not appreciate Atalig\u2019s silence, and a special committee composed of six independents and one Democrat \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/news\/local\/ex-finance-chief-david-atalig-is-found-in-contempt\/article_8204e7bc-e117-11ee-a8ad-d7dd17a2a73d.html\u0022\u003Evoted unanimously\u003C\/a\u003E to hold Atalig in contempt of the House.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese allegations and investigations are new to neither Atalig nor his former boss, previous Governor Ralph Torres (R). In 2022, Torres \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pasquines.us\/2022\/08\/10\/northern-mariana-islands-customs-directors-reassignment-raises-questions-of-political-corruption\/\u0022\u003Efaced \u003C\/a\u003Eboth criminal charges and impeachment for misusing government funds. At the same time, Atalig \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pasquines.us\/2022\/08\/10\/northern-mariana-islands-customs-directors-reassignment-raises-questions-of-political-corruption\/\u0022\u003Efaced lawsuits\u003C\/a\u003E for reassigning and effectively demoting a government employee who had been critical of the Torres administration. The BOOST program, which had been inert for over a year, was \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pasquines.us\/2023\/10\/13\/northern-mariana-islands-weathers-typhoon-bolaven\/\u0022\u003Ecanceled\u003C\/a\u003E as soon as Governor Arnold Palacios took office in January 2023. Yet the widespread anger, House hearings, and criminal charges following both the program and the administration that delivered it suggest that it has left a political wake that will endure beyond its expiry date.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022et_social_bottom_trigger\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E"},"name":"Corruption allegations trail Northern Mariana Islands BOOST program","nameMap":{"en":"Corruption allegations trail Northern Mariana Islands BOOST program"},"icon":{"type":"Image","url":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/BOOST-program-marketing-materials.png","mediaType":"image\/png","name":"BOOST program marketing materials. Photo credit: Composite image by Pasquines"},"image":{"type":"Image","url":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/BOOST-program-marketing-materials.png","mediaType":"image\/png","name":"BOOST program marketing materials. Photo credit: Composite image by Pasquines"},"preview":{"type":"Note","content":"David Atalig, the secretary of the Department of Treasury under the Northern Mariana Islands\u2019 previous gubernatorial administration, appeared in court on March 12 to account for the allocation of the commonwealth\u2019s BOOST program.\n\nBOOST, or Building Optimism, Opportunities, and Stability Together, was a grant allocation program for small businesses and individuals designed to stimulate the Northern Marianas economy first initiated under former Governor Ralph Torres (R). But both the [\u2026]"},"published":"2024-03-18T20:46:26Z","summary":"David Atalig, the secretary of the Department of Treasury under the Northern Mariana Islands\u2019 previous gubernatorial administration, appeared in court on March 12 to account for the allocation of the commonwealth\u2019s BOOST program.\n\nBOOST, or Building Optimism, Opportunities, and Stability Together, was a grant allocation program for small businesses and individuals designed to stimulate the Northern Marianas economy first initiated under former Governor Ralph Torres (R). But both the [\u2026]","summaryMap":{"en":"David Atalig, the secretary of the Department of Treasury under the Northern Mariana Islands\u2019 previous gubernatorial administration, appeared in court on March 12 to account for the allocation of the commonwealth\u2019s BOOST program.\n\nBOOST, or Building Optimism, Opportunities, and Stability Together, was a grant allocation program for small businesses and individuals designed to stimulate the Northern Marianas economy first initiated under former Governor Ralph Torres (R). But both the [\u2026]"},"tag":[{"type":"Hashtag","href":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/tag\/arnold-palacios\/","name":"#ArnoldPalacios"},{"type":"Hashtag","href":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/tag\/boost-program\/","name":"#BOOSTProgram"},{"type":"Hashtag","href":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/tag\/contextomy\/","name":"#Contextomy"},{"type":"Hashtag","href":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/tag\/corruption\/","name":"#Corruption"},{"type":"Hashtag","href":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/tag\/david-atalig\/","name":"#DavidAtalig"},{"type":"Hashtag","href":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/tag\/northern-mariana-islands\/","name":"#NorthernMarianaIslands"},{"type":"Hashtag","href":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/tag\/ralph-torres\/","name":"#RalphTorres"}],"updated":"2024-03-19T21:01:30Z","url":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/2024\/03\/18\/corruption-allegations-trail-northern-mariana-islands-boost-program\/","to":["https:\/\/www.w3.org\/ns\/activitystreams#Public"],"mediaType":"text\/html","replies":{"id":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/wp-json\/activitypub\/1.0\/posts\/22696\/replies","type":"Collection","first":{"id":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/wp-json\/activitypub\/1.0\/posts\/22696\/replies?page=1","type":"CollectionPage","partOf":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/wp-json\/activitypub\/1.0\/posts\/22696\/replies","items":[]}},"likes":{"id":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/wp-json\/activitypub\/1.0\/posts\/22696\/likes","type":"Collection","totalItems":0},"shares":{"id":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/wp-json\/activitypub\/1.0\/posts\/22696\/shares","type":"Collection","totalItems":0},"id":"https:\/\/pasquines.us\/2024\/03\/18\/corruption-allegations-trail-northern-mariana-islands-boost-program\/"}<!-- This website is optimized by Airlift. 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