Governor’s office staffers and several of Governor Lou Leon Guerrero’s cabinet members have been tasked and are engaging in what was a covert communications operation to attack the media. The effort by top advisors and campaign officials to the governor is to help Lt. Governor Joshua Tenorio and control damage done to his campaign for governor since his sister and boyfriend’s indictments for corruption, according to the messages Kandit has reviewed from this group.
Three members of a WhatsApp chat group titled “JOSH 2026” and composed of 28 Governor’s office employees, agency directors, government employees, and campaign officials leaked to Kandit the contents of the chat. They disclosed the once-clandestine operation of the Leon Guerrero Tenorio administration after, they said, Adelup officials pressured them to defend Mr. Tenorio’s indicted sister and boyfriend, the lieutenant governor himself, and to attack the media in an effort to undermine the news stories and editorials that are harmful to Mr. Tenorio’s bid for governor and even his desire to remain in office.
The fake profile “Serena Tajalle” since the 2022 election has been used to attack Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Governor Joshua Tenorio’s political enemies; so has the Facebook page Truth & Facts Guam, which Mr. Alvarez claimed in his group chat message is his.
The phone number associated with the WhatsApp group chat name “Bobby Alvarez” matches the phone number Kandit has on file for Mr. Alvarez. WhatsApp group chat names for members Carlotta Leon Guerrero – the governor’s federal and military affairs advisor, Tyrone Taitano – the governor’s director of statistics and plans, and Frank Arriola – the lieutenant governor’s purported campaign advisor, also match their phone numbers on record.
The messages forwarded and shared with Kandit, along with screenshots of some of the conversations that have occurred in this group chat indicate a concerted effort by top leaders in the Leon Guerrero Tenorio administration and campaign to destroy the reputations of people perceived to be political enemies of the administration. The group is used, according to the messages, to mobilize and to troll on social media to manipulate public opinion through fake profiles.
“What is happening now is a very good test run for us to mobilize,” Mr. Alvarez wrote in the group chat Monday evening. “Please know that you make a difference. Every comment, like, and share is greatly appreciated and worthwhile as we face an opposition that is working very hard to push their narrative and negativity. Also please prepare for July 3.”
The defendants in the federal corruption case that was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office last week Wednesday, are scheduled to be arraigned on July 3, 2025
The concerted effort by Adelup staffers and governor’s cabinet members to use troll accounts to influence public opinion with coordinated messaging differs significantly from the official responses coming out of Adelup since the indictments became public late Friday.
To nearly every question asked by reporters about the indictments and about Lt. Governor Tenorio, Ms. Paco-San Agustin has referred the media and the public to a holding statement that asks the public to presume the defendants are innocent, and to assert that Mr. Tenorio is not under federal investigation.
Here are the questions Kandit asked Ms. Paco-San Agustin regarding the leaked JOSH 2026 clandestine operation chat, and her answers to our questions:
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Good morning, @Krystal Paco ⭐️ … Since Friday Adelup’s go-to line about the federal corruption indictments involving the Leon Guerrero Tenorio administration has been a statement released Friday that asks the public to presume the innocence of the defendants, and to tell the public that Joshua Tenorio was not involved. Adelup’s other statement is that “because these matters are currently subject to the judicial process, I have no additional comment.”
To nearly every question any of us have asked, you have referred us to these statements.
Yet, several Adelup and Leon Guerrero Tenorio cabinet officers in a WhatsApp group chat titled “Josh 2026” are pursuing a communications strategy, commenting on the indictments on social media, and certainly not keeping silent in observance of “the judicial process.”
Three members of this group of 28, saying they are disgusted by Adelup’s no-longer covert communications strategy, have forwarded messages from this group from yesterday – some made during working hours – and screen shots of this group. This group includes, according to the sources and the names (confirmed by the associated phone numbers) on the chat, … Bobby Alvarez, the bureau of stats and plans director Tyrone Taitano, the governor’s military affairs advisor Carlotta Leon Guerrero, and several other government of Guam employees, including other cabinet members and Adelup staff.
Why, despite your and Adelup’s assertions to the media in this chatroom, is Adelup pursuing this communications strategy?
“ANSWER: Adelup is not pursuing this communications strategy. Adelup neither maintains nor directs the aforementioned chat group.” – Krystal Paco-San Agustin
Why will you not answer questions reporters here present directly, referring us instead to holding statements, all the while members of Adelup and the cabinet are on social media sending out their own messages?
“Answer: Every individual has the right to freedom of speech and is allowed to voice their own opinions.” – Krystal Paco-San Agustin
Why is Adelup’s covert communications strategy to target the media?
“Answer: Adelup is NOT targeting the media. That is a false assertion.” – Krystal Paco-San Agustin
Isn’t this precisely what the governor and the lieutenant governor and the Democrats have accused the Republicans nationally of doing? If you don’t believe so, how is it different?
“Answer: Adelup is NOT targeting the media. That is a false assertion.” – Krystal Paco-San Agustin
Can we get responses from Bobby Alvarez, Tyrone Taitano, and Carlotta Leon Guerrero about their role and participation in this apparent Adelup + campaign related group chat?
“Answer: Adelup neither maintains nor directs the aforementioned chat group.” – Krystal Paco-San Agustin
How long has this been going on? One of the pseudonyms the chatroom associates with on public posts in Facebook is “Serena Tajalle,” a Facebook profile that since 2020 has attacked opponents of the governor. According to the chat messages by Bobby Alvarez, that account belongs to Bobby Alvarez, who has been a cabinet member since the governor’s first term. Did the governor authorize Mr. Alvarez to attack her opponents using a covert account? Did the messaging come from Adelup?
“Answer: No and No. Every individual has the right to the freedom of speech and is allowed to voice their own opinions.” – Krystal Paco-San Agustin
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After Kandit received these answers, we asked follow-up questions:
What is the governor’s opinion of the clandestine nature of this chat, run by some of her closest advisors and members of her staff, that has been used to attempt to destroy the reputations of people perceived to be the administration’s political enemies?
Aside from her respect of free speech… does she condemn these tactics coming from her own people?
Ms. Paco-San Agustin replied:
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“Neither the Governor nor the Office of the Governor maintain or direct the chat you reference, and as such, have no basis on with which to comment.”
1 Comments
Joe
07/03/2025 at 9:37 AM
Interesting for a woman governor to allow such behavior in her administration. I would think that she’ll be more transparent for the good of the people of Guahan. I guess politics is just dirty regardless of who is holding the throne – shits as can be?