Attorney general says political hiring is an accepted practice
By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Attorney General Douglas Moylan today defended his office’s move to employ his fiancé and brother, saying “hiring of family members or close friends is recognized in American politics.”
Moylan issued a statement confirming the hiring of Sheenalynn Hawkins as the office’s new chief of staff, an unclassified position with an annual salary of $127,602.
The attorney general also responded to criticisms about the employment of his accountant-brother Scott Moylan.
Like other elected officials, the attorney general said he could hire people for unclassified—terminable at will—positions.
Political hiring has been an “accepted practice,” Moylan said, citing as an example the late President John F. Kennedy. who hired his brother Robert Kennedy as the U.S. attorney general.
“Ms. Hawkins was part of my political campaign for attorney general and helped me get elected,” Moylan said.
He said Hawkins helped manage his private law firm for 10 years before he got elected in 2022.
Before assuming the chief of staff position, Hawkins worked as the special projects coordinator at the AG’s office.
“I clearly could have hired her myself for these political positions. Ms. Hawkins is neither my relative nor my wife,” Moylan said.
Hawkins first applied for a job at the AG’s office a year ago amid mass resignations of attorneys and other employees who worked under former Attorney General Leevin Camacho.
“She was clearly qualified to serve in this public law office, having been trained by me and worked in my private law office,” Moylan added.
However, Moylan said he recused himself from participating in Hawkin’s employment application, “because of my professional and personal relationship with her.”
Joe Guthrie, chief deputy attorney general, hired her.
“This law office critically needed attorneys and support staff when I took over this law office,” Moylan said, recalling that the agency had only eight prosecutors then.
“Because of Ms. Hawkins, I was able to hire about 32 of over 200 attorney applicants from off-island to date, to serve my client,” Moylan said. “She also vetted and caused to be interviewed over 150 non-attorney applicants, and close to 800 applications to work in this law office.”
As to his brother, the attorney general said Scott Moylan had been a comptroller for several banks for decades before joining the AG’s office. He was among the four accountants who resigned from the Community First Credit Union and applied at the AG’s office.
“I immediately hired three of the accountants placing them in my Child Support Division and Administration,” Douglas Moylan said. “As to Scott, I withdrew from reviewing his job application, which in cases like this, the CDAG takes over a hiring decision.”
Douglas Moylan said he also recently hired Thomas Paulino and Anna Nicole Perez as second-deputy chiefs of staff. They were existing AG employees.
"Working for me is not easy. I demand performance and results from all of my staff for our taxpayers, and especially to protect our people against criminals," Moylan said.
"This requires a staff of attorneys to provide leadership, administration, support staff, prosecutors, attorneys, investigators, paralegals and clerical staff. We employ about 200 attorneys and staff, which varies from month to month, and are Guam's largest law firm," he added.
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