By Kassi Berg
Assistant Secretary of Interior for Insular Affairs, dosage Tony Babauta, view who oversees the freely associated states, help including Palau, Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia, was under federal investigation for allegations of corruption. Recently the federal investigation followed Babauta to Guam where the Inspector General’s staff made local inquiry about various grants that were awarded by Babuata’s Office.
Approximately two months after Babauta was placed on administrative leave , he submitted his resignation to both President Obama and to the Department of Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, effective this Friday, February 1, 2013. To Obama, Babauta wrote that he was honored to have had the opportunity to be the “first native islander to hold this position.”
To Salazar, he recited his accomplishments during his term and closed with the following thank you: “As said in the Chamorro of my native Guam, ‘Dangkulu na si Yu’os ma’ase.” The full letter is available at the Pacific News Center: http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/images/pdf/salresbab.pdf
Babauta served the Obama administration for just over three years after his Senate confirmation in September, 2009. The post that had been inactive for more than a decade and it is unknown whether Obama will retain the position of Assistant Secretary of Insular Affairs. Previously David Cohen served the insular territories in the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary, a step below Babauta.
Babauta held the title as the highest ranking Pacific islander in the Obama administration. Babauta previously served as Staff Director for the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans, and Wildlife and as an advisor to the full committee concerning U.S. policy towards U.S. territories and other U.S. affiliated island nations.
Neither Babauta nor the Department of Interior have publicly addressed the status of the investigation.