Governor Challenges IG’s Report
deJongh: Use Of Funds Was Authorized by Amended Act 6917; No Laws Violated For Mafolie Improvements
There was nothing improper about Governor John P. deJongh, Jr.’s use of public funds to renovate his Estate Mafolie private residence - and the Administration disagrees with a US Inspector General’s report (IG) that concluded the Executive Branch had no authority to divert funds the Legislature had approved for road repair to security enhancements for the Governor’s home.
Governor deJongh made these comments during a press conference Tuesday.
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The IG report was issued last Friday and contained the following summation of their investigation into the use of reprogrammed funds from Act 6917 that were used to fund $490,000 in security enhancements at the Governor’s St. Thomas home. The IG report stated:
 “We found that the funds used for the purpose of providing security at your private residence were set aside for road repairs in the Virgin Islands by the Legislative Branch of Government. In using those funds, the Executive Branch of Government improperly diverted roughly half-a-million dollars of specifically earmarked public funds and usurped the authority of the Legislative Branch of Government.”
“Under Virgin Islands law, only the Legislature is authorized to determine how public funds can be spent,” wrote Mary L. Kendall, Acting Inspector General.
The Governor stated that all of the processes associated with the improvements made at his home were “open and transparent” and that work was only done after proper Request For Proposal and bidding processes. He also questioned the thoroughness of the IG’s investigation, stating that both the work done at the East End Cemetery and drainage work should also have been investigated for the report to be complete.
 All the work done was in compliance with Virgin Islands law, he said, and the report was incorrect in stating that federal funds were used. Additionally, he said, the investigator should have interviewed the sponsor of the amendment outlining the use of the funds in question, Sen. Carlton Dowe, for clarification on the intended and authorized use of the funds.
During a question and answer period following his statement, deJongh said it was “patently unfair” for employees in the Departments of Property and Procurement, Public Works and Justice to be subjected to “personal abuse” for doing their jobs “professionally and legally.”
When asked about the IG’s recommendation that he pay back the funds, he said he had made a decision prior to the report to repay the Government funds representing the value of the improvements at the end of his term to show that he never intended to “personally benefit” from the enhancements to his property.
He declined to respond to a reporter’s question as to whether he believed there was “collusion” between the federal and local IG’s offices since a relative of Sen. Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg, the senator who brought the disputed funds use to the public last June, works in the local IG office. deJongh said he believed the federal IG was aware of any “relationships” between people involved in this matter.
One reporter challenged the governor’s assertion that the actions of his Administration have been transparent and open, citing the refusal of Cherrie Wallace-Cole, a Public Finance Authority employee, to testify at a Legislative hearing held last week to discuss the Executive Branch’s use of these funds.
The Governor responded:
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 The Governor said he plans to respond to the IG report by the February 16, 2010 deadline.
Surely, if a Captain can be charged for a matter surrounding $5,000.00 what do you think should happen to the Governor for a matter surrounding $500,000.00?
“DSTC’:Sorry I wasn’t able to get back to you on Friday night as
we have house guests and one has to be attentive at such times.Anyway,I don’t see anything going on except for ‘Bishop’s
continued rantings.Hope your ‘date’ went well.Moonlight shining bright up my way!
Soldier…we have the whole week ahead of us to debate and bring forward the real deal wiht our elected officials…There is SO much to bring out into the open, and Monday night just might be the right time to start…
The date was GREAT! >>>our government can threaten to thwart us, financially, that is, but love of life is uncontrolable! We all go on, I just wish it was without hieracrchy and suffering for the broadbase of the community!
Soldier Crab,
Are you in DC? Friends told me that the moon was fantastic in that neck of the woods.
Heard it was spectacular!
@ ENOUGH:Nope,not DC….but then again,you might be surprised to know where all the moon does shine.But I’ve gotta tell ya,when it comes to being out on a date on a moonlit night,there’s no better place to be ( after wining and dining your date)than at Brewers Bay,meh son.Being with a nice conversationalist (and a bottle of Merlot or a fifth of Cruzan Light at the ready)makes for some good ‘conversating’……hence the old time calypso
‘Moonlight Shining Bright Tonight”.Unfortunately,today’s peeps don’t believe in the art of conversation.Ahhh,weren’t those the days?
Tina leh we whoops
ANONYMOUS, you cracking me up.Your lingo reminds me of when I was a likkle bwoy (teenager really) and used to listen to ‘Mango
Jones’,aka Ron Delugo,on the 4 o’clock radio show (Caribbean Matinee)on WSTA in the afternoons.He was a riot.What ever happened to Ron,is he still around? Was a great representative of the V.I.
I am appalled at the mis-educator for the comments she made on Mario’s show. She is a very low-life person to even go to those disgusting comments which I don’t care to repeat. I was glad that Mario handle her with such class. She just need to stay off the radio and hide in some deep dark corner. I am very ashamed of her as a woman an as a Virgin Islander. The Dewolf administration has chosen the wrong person to come out on the attack, she casting a bad shadow over this administration, because of her, many who were hanging on hoping that Dewolf would rise above the petty and dirty politics are heading for other camps.
What exactly did the Crucian Miseducator said this time? I only catch the part when Mario was talking to the people from the Agricultural Food Fair.
In a nut shell she said that when Dewolf, was sworn in office, he and the first wife was given a tour of Catherine’s Burg and during the tour was shown their sleeping quarters and bed was dirty and soiled with body fluids from the previous governor. Suggesting that he had relations with someone (you could imagine what she implied) and that apparently was the deciding factor why they refused to live there. She said though I must add, that he (Turnbull)had renovated the place for a bachelor for which he and friends had wild parties. Mario then ask her once he stop her from continuing when he sense where she was taking this conversation, who was her source. She said her lawyer told her not to reveal any of her sources. Then Mario told her then she could no longer continue her conversation with this low-rooted stuff.
Geez, she’s sick!!!!! The Reef need to ban her from ever calling the station! That’s disgraceful, especially when she works for the governor!
OK, so let’s say that there is some truth to what the miseducator is saying. The governor-elect at the time and Ms. deJongh could just get a new bed. They could renovate Catherineburg in a way that would suit them and their young son, and it would have cost US less money in the long run. The excuse they give for staying at Mafolie is not cutting it.
It’s obvious that the gov. intended to enhance his property at public expense at least right after he was elected. He came into office with a plan to abuse the power of the office by raiding the treasury in a way that is unprecedented. There is no doubt that public curruption has always been with us to some extent, but this blatant and excessive raid on the treasury is intolerable. Mr. Olive is to be commended for exposing the whole Mafoliegate affair. It is hard to imagine that this administration might have gotten away with it without Recon’s revelations.
Verdel gets some kind of thrill from being talked about and criticized. It is as if it’s all about her and her “OPINION” is so important that it must be heard every day on every talk show several times. She inspires people to speak out against the gov.
Who is this powerful lady?
Why is she getting on so many people nerves?
Where does she get her information?
When does she rest?
What is her mission?
Where? What? Why? When? Who?
These are important questions to ask.
Nope! She’s entirely irrelevant!
@ persona,
Let her talk. Yes, I know, it’s like fingernails on a blackboard and there is no logic. But it’s a fascinating object lesson in the tactics of the desperate.
And now that the commentary has scraped the bottom of the gutter even those who may have been inclined to listen will cringe in disgust when that cult-like voice comes on the air.
I hear the contracts are running around $5,000 for three months of work on the airwaves and it is clear the troop is growing.
Her impact is now completely negative so let her run.
And may God have mercy on anyone who is in her “classroom.”
Every reference to her elevates her a notch. She desperately craves attention and she gets lots of it.People who talk about other people make them important. If she is irrelevant, no one would would personally attack her. Great people inspire both love & hate. Recall Jesus Christ? His enemies hated him so much, that they crucified him.This made him even more loved and remembered. Love or hate her, she stimulates conversation and you make her popular.
Comment removed by administrator.
@I Understand – we understand your feelings, but we won’t print that. Thank you and please continue to blog.
@ Administrator
In simple terms, this whole situation stinks and we need to be careful of what is going to unfold in the months leading up to the election. Have I laid it out in less colorful and descriptive manner?
@ I Understand
Yes you have and your efforts in this regard are greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Look, all the Virgin Island know that DeWolf and his day time First Lady has disrespected them selfs, when they went on the road of taking our money for them self. They are disgraceful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!