The Tenorio-Ada campaign is asking the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial candidate, Lourdes Leon Guerrero, to explain how exactly she would resolve her conflict of interest issue if elected governor.
“Leon Guerrero must make clear her plans for her shares and the future of government business at the Bank of Guam,” the Tenorio-Ada team said in a press statement, following Leon Guerrero’s earlier statement she would divest her interests in the family-owned bank.
Tom Fisher, attorney for the BOTA campaign, last week sought the Guam Election Commission’s opinion on Leon Guerrero’s potential conflict interest, noting that the government of Guam is doing major transactions with the Bank of Guam.
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The Republican Party’s gubernatorial team said if Leon Guerrero’s shares were merely transferred to her family members or an entity that she would benefit from at a later date, "it would disguise but not resolve the conflict of interest."
“How and to who shares will be divested? Will the shares be sold to the public? Or will they be transferred to a family member or an entity that she will be benefit from at a later date, while her son remains chief executive officer of the bank,” the Tenorio-Ada campaign team said.
“If she is elected governor, will she continue to keep taxpayer money in her bank, or will she avoid this conflict by transferring all government banking to other capable Guam banks?”
The BOTA team said if Leon Guerrero were to transfer shares to her family members, “an action such as this would be a disingenuous attempt to deceive the people of Guam, and our people are smarter than this.”
Meanwhile, an anonymously posted YouTube video raised concerns about the Bank of Guam’s service fee increases starting next year, suggesting the fee adjustments , which apply to 21 service items, were designed to recover the cost of Leon Guerrero’s campaign.
Leon Guerrero and her running mate Joshua Tenorio spent more than $1 million during the pre-primary campaign. The video mentioned a $450,000 loan that Leon Guerrero allegedly acquired from the bank.
The Leon Guerrero-Tenorio team and the Bank of Guam did reply to the Pacific Island Times’ request for comments.