The Saipan Tribune has today, Friday, published this as news: Fitial in pain.
This news report is predominantly spin, with some very lame excuses:
1. The DOC chief Dolores San Nicolas takes responsibility. She tried to reach the AG and a U.S. Marshall first, but couldn't.
2. Fitial was in severe pain.
3. His wife was present throughout.
On #1
Of course Dolores San NIcolas is responsible for her role in this. But her job security depends on the Governor, and he called her and "asked" for the prisoner to be brought to him. He is also responsible.
Both should face consequences for their actions. Those consequences should include both employment discipline /loss of their jobs and criminal contempt/other charges.
Also, the veracity of their statements should be thoroughly tested. I hope the Feds get the communications records to confirm whether San Nicolas made such phone call/attempts to the AG and the US Marshall. Can records show this?
On #2
It makes no difference how the Governor felt as to the abuse of power. You don't get to use prisoners for your personal needs because you have personal needs and are the Governor.
Also, is this believable in light of his conduct public appearances on that day and the next? The Governor has had medical problems; and those do relate to his back, which means he could be in pain. It's plausible. Yet there are no reports that he seemed in any way to be slower, in pain, uncomfortable on the days leading up to this or the next day.
On # 3
It makes little difference what his wife did to the Governor's abuse of power. The abuse is getting a federal prisoner out of detention for your personal services. I'm sure in the public's eye that massage is less scandalous than prostitution, but both are equally weak as legal support for the Governor's actions.
There there is the question of whether this is believable. Quite frankly, I'm having trouble believing it. But I wasn't there, and don't know. But then I keep going back to the photograph of the first couple, and the anger and unhappiness in the faces of Josie and Ben. At the inauguration, when they should be celebrating.
Just makes me skeptical.
So what do we call this scandal? I've seen "rub-a-dub-dub gate" but I don't much like that, because it makes me think of bathtubs not massage. Other ideas? "Chingching gate" or "Pain-Relief-gate"?
You can watch the KSPN news on this story here.
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9 comments:
down with Begnino...just like he will fire anyone on his way....down with him and all his CRONNIES...FEDERAL INTERVENTION.. YEA....
Yu-Yu Gate (referring to the gals massage parlor name)
Masseuse-Gate
Human-Smuggler-Gate
Weenie-Gate
Baby Oil-Gate
Enough-is-Enough-Gate
I assume that the hearing in the Federal District Court will divulge a timetable of events. I would like to know a lot more facts before I speculate on whether there was more to "Masseuse-Gate" that what Governor Fitial has disclosed.I suffer from chronic back pain resulting from a herniated disk and two old compression fractures and, when I get a "flare up", I am usually immobile for several days. Governor Fitial seems to have had a very quick recovery. Perhaps he responds well to physical therapy. I have been told that CHC provides excellent physical therapy and wonder why he is not getting treatment there.
Where is the outrage from the Chamber? Where is mad Jim Aranofski? Irate Doug? Fuming Marianne Peirce? Where is an upset HANMI? Where is Jerry, Perry and MVA's ire?
When the feds do so little as cough and they think it may harm their livelyhoods they jump to and have a million quotes on how bad the feds are killing our economy. They hold meetings and discuss the tragic impacts.
3 days now and they are all silent! What a bunch of malarkey.
What of your own governor? What he has done will have the most horrifying effects on our main economy, TOURISM!
Kiss the visa waivers goodbye. The human trafficking prisoner and victims he just made international news will CRUSH any hopes of continued parole for Russia and China.
Where is the ANGER that spewed from these business leaders' mouths when they feared a dent in tourism due to federal impacts? Is the governor and what he has done not worse than anything that the CNMI has ever had to deal with.
Only one incident trumps this. Willy Tan and Fitial's largest labor abuse case and largest fine in the history of the world. The other time we got international recognition,.
One may only conclude that the only reason they are all silent now may be that they were never mad about tourism being affected they were fearful about this... their human trafficking, drug dealing, money laundering and other illegal activities being exposed!
""The State is the real party in interest only as the prosecution in a criminal case. It is absurd to suggest that taxpayers must finance the defense of a criminal action against a Governor who is accused of corruptly betraying the public trust for personal and financial gain. As the lllinois Supreme Court has stated: "No official of public government should be encouraged to engage in criminal acts by the assurance that he will be able to pass defense Costs on to the taxpayers of the community he was elected to serve.""
This comes from a story regarding a request by a sitting Governor to have the AG appoint a state paid for defense attorney to him.
So who will the Governor get to represent him once criminal charges are filed? The AG won't be able to. Why is the AG representing him now? At what point must the AG step away and do what they are entrusted to do, represent the people of the CNMI?
spam?
She was a foreigner in the CNMI who was also a federal detainee.
Did she really feel she had a choice in anything?
If you were in a foreign country (probably already a victim of an abusive system and force into acts of criminal sorts) and arrested and detained and that evening at 3 am the guards and chief come to your cell and wake you by opening it up and cuffing you. They then start walking you to a stationed police van. You speak very little of the cops language. They tell you they are taking you to their leader. You are frightened and worried for your life. You start thinking. "Will they kill me?". You have been involved in criminal acts for years. You have met with the governor in the past. You know his close friends very well. You haven't talked to the feds yet. You worry that he won't believe you. You are afraid that he thinks you already told the feds too much. You think the guards are taking you out to kill you and dump your body. You arrive at the Governors house. You are scared. He talks to you. Asks who arrested you. What they looked like. How many. What federal agency. What fake names. What did you say to them. What statements did you sign. You fear your life. You say nothing happened. Just arrest. You tell him not to fear. You tell him you will not talk. You will not mention him or his friends. Please dont hurt you.
He tells the officers to return you to your cell. But first he warns you and threatens your family (the reason you have been in the situation you have been in since you were 22 here in Saipan... a human trafficking victim yourself).
Officers take you back to prison. You cry yourself to sleep and wonder if you will ever see your home again or your family.
The next day, someone leaks story to the press. You are now even more afraid.
According to some of her co-workers Cheng is very smart and has "connections". Many have wondered where she made so much cash these past years. Certainly not on a wage of $4.55 per hr.
Apparently she does live with fear. The fear of getting caught involved in illegal activies.
I have no sympathy for her.
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