Open Government Act Case Posts and Files

On September 12, 2008 CNMI Governor Benigno Fitial filed a controversial lawsuit suing the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Labor in an effort to block PL 110-229 with the goal of maintaining control of the dysfunctional CNMI labor and immigration system.

The lawsuit had little known public support and no formal support from the CNMI Legislature. The lawsuit was planned in secrecy with the governor's special legal counsel, Howard Willens and a very small band of his anti-federalization supporters. The governor has remained ambiguous about funding sources, except to reveal in the summer of 2008 that the lawsuit would cost an estimated $50,000 a month with an estimated total cost expected to be $400,000.

Representative Christina Sablan filed an Open Government Act request in October 2008 with the Governor and later in December 2008 with then Secretary of Finance Eloy Inos requesting information on the funding sources and contracts related to lawsuit. Both the governor and secretary refused to release the documents. Subsequently, Rep. Sablan filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court in an effort to have the documents released.

The following posts document the Open Government Act request and lawsuit. They contain links to the court documents and related news stories from the Saipan Tribune and the Marianas Variety.


This post will be updated as new court documents and information come in.
Fitial Appeals to High Court to Keep Documents Secret
Ruling on Open Government Act Request: Documents ordered released
Tentative Ruling on Open Government Act Request
Open Government Act Request Dragging On
Order in Open Government Act Case
Open Position; Open Government Act Request
Open Government Act Request: The Privilege Log
Open Government Act Request: OAG releases only the contract of Howard Willens

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