Villanueva found in contempt for refusing to answer questions under oath

Shayne Villanueva – the Torres-era businessman who reportedly was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds under several election-year programs – Tuesday morning refused to answer any questions asked by members of a CNMI House committee investigating the corruption of the Torres administration.

The committee found him in contempt, according to the rules of the House, and unanimously voted to request Speaker Edmund Villagomez to forward the contempt findings to the attorney general to trigger a criminal prosecution of Mr. Villanueva.

Mr. Villanueva answered two foundational questions – his name and the village where he lives – after taking the oath to tell the truth under penalty of perjury before the tribunal. Blas Jonathan Attao began the questioning, asking “Do you have a degree in marketing or management?”

“On the advice of my counsel I respectfully invoke my Fifth Amendment privilege, therefore I respectfully decline the question,” Mr. Villanueva replied.

MR. ATTAO: Please tell us your professional credentials.

MR. VILLANUEVA: On the advice of my counsel I respectfully invoke my Fifth Amendment privilege, therefore I respectfully decline the question.

MR. ATTAO: Where is Roil Soil and where is it physically located?

MR. VILLANUEVA: On the advice of my counsel I respectfully invoke my Fifth Amendment privilege, therefore I respectfully decline the question.

Roil Soil is Mr. Villanueva’s business. Roil Soil, according to documents, billed more than $300,000 to the BOOST program – a federally-funded initiative mired in cronyism and corruption – to market the giveaway of money. Democratic lawmakers in the last legislature who investigated the corruption in December said the spending of even one dollar to market a program that gave money away was preposterous.

“At the end of the day this was free money that was given out,” committee vice chairman Edwin Propst said, as Mr. Villanueva sat silently in front of the committee. “It wasn’t something that needed the most extraordinary marketing that money could buy. There was a lot of money given out (for marketing) and we want to see where it went.”

Mr. Propst, clearly anguished by Villanueva’s repeated pleading of his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and to not incriminate himself by answering questions, said that the public deserves to know what happened. He said Mr. Villanueva’s silence will not stop him from at least revealing the documents showing alleged wrongdoing and crimes allegedly committed by Mr. Villanueva and others associated with the BOOST program and other federally-funded programs administered during Ralph Torres’ re-election bid in 2022.

For instance, he said, “The Roil Soil contract was not even valid, according to the secretary of finance.”

The congressman also claimed during the hearing that Mr. Villanueva was paid “at least $215,000” to market the Farmers, Fishers, and Ranchers (FFR) program. That was another federally-funded grant program that gave away $500 per applicant. According to Vince “Kobre” Aldan, records indicate the grants totaled $182,000, meaning Mr. Villanueva’s company allegedly pocketed more money to market a free-cash giveaway than the giveaway itself.

Only 364 FFR grant awards were made, but the program was supposed to help 1,000 farmers, fishermen, and ranchers throughout the CNMI. Had the FFR program not paid Mr. Villanueva the alleged $215,000 marketing fee, the program could have granted 430 more applicants $500 a piece.

“Many were turned away,” Mr. Propst exclaimed, pointing out that this was just one of many instances of alleged wrongdoing allegedly committed by Mr. Villanueva and others that required his answering of questions.

“On the advice of my counsel I respectfully invoke my Fifth Amendment privilege, therefore I respectfully decline the question,” Mr. Villanueva replied to Mr. Propst, who asked him repeatedly whether he would answer any of the questions from the tribunal. Several times, Mr. Attao and Mr. Propst reminded Mr. Villanueva that his refusal to answer questions in response to his subpoena could result in a finding of contempt.

“I think it’s clear Mr. Villanueva will not be answering any of our questions,” Mr. Propst said.

“I move to find Mr. Shayne Villanueva in contempt of this committee. He has repeatedly been asked questions and repeatedly failed to answer under oath,” Marissa Flores said. Her motion, which included the committee’s formal request to Mr. Villagomez to forward the contempt finding to the attorney general to prosecute Mr. Villanueva, passed unanimously.

Kandit has sent the committee’s chairman and vice chairman a request for the public records related to the legislative  investigation of Mr. Villanueva.