Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The ongoing tension between Governor Pulaali‘i Nikolao Pula and the Fono has entered a new chapter, with the Fono’s refusal to hold the American Samoa Telecommunications Authority (ASTCA) budget hearing last week Thursday, as it said the Authority had no Board of Directors, which it needs to function.

This decision by the Fono was apparently made on the same day, but before the General Memorandum appointing a new Board of Directors for ASTCA — Thursday, September 10th, was released.  

The newly named members are Omar Shalhout (acting chairperson), Lewis Seau, Karen Satele, Molitogi Lemana, and Ma‘aveeseese Lei Mauga Jr.  

Four of the five individuals — Shalhout, Seau, Satele, and Lemana — previously served on the board the Governor dissolved on August 28, 2026. 

The former board had included Alex Sene Jr. and Ella Gurr, while Avamua Dave Haleck and Andrew Berquist had already resigned before the dissolution. 

(Samoa News notes that it had reported Avamua and Berquist as still being on the Board as their resignations had not been officially announced by ASG.)

According to the Governor, members of the new board will serve two‑year terms, unless replaced earlier under applicable law. The Governor designates the chairperson, while the board must elect its own secretary once a quorum is present. A quorum consists of a majority of members — in this case 3 of the currently named 5.

The Governor instructed the new board to organize immediately, elect a secretary, and carry out its duties in accordance with the executive order and all relevant laws and policies.

At this time, it is unknown if the governor will be naming 4 more people to the ASTCA board, which used to number 9 in total,

The ASTCA budget hearing, scheduled for last Thursday, was canceled by the Joint Budget & Appropriations Committee because it believed no ASTCA Board existed at the time.

The Fono maintains that the ASTCA budget must be approved by the Board, and the CEO reports to the Board, not directly to the Legislature.

With the former board dissolved and no replacement yet announced at the time, the committee determined that the executive order establishing ASTCA could not be fulfilled.

ASTCA CEO Folasaitu Sorepa Thomas arrived for the hearing, but lawmakers informed her that the review could not proceed without a functioning board. This decision was made before the Governor’s memo naming the new board was released.

Governor Pulaali’i later explained that he dissolved the former ASTCA Board to prevent its members from testifying at a Senate hearing without the CEO present. The hearing — scheduled for August 31, 2026 — was meant to examine ASTCA’s spending on the 250th Anniversary of U.S. Independence celebrations.

Speaking on KHJ’s Morning Show on Wednesday, the Governor said he learned that some board members had approached the Fono, asking to be called in to testify about the July 4th spending. He said his Chief of Staff, Leonard Seumanutafa, had already written to the committee chair requesting a postponement until the CEO returned from off‑island travel. When no response came, the Governor sent a similar request to the Senate President.

“So I decided, before they go, I’m going to dissolve the board,” the Governor told KHJ host John Raynar. “I didn’t want some board members to go there and respond negatively without the CEO there to protect herself. That’s basically what happened. I will re‑constitute the board, and I am looking into relieving those members who have done what, to me, doesn’t seem appropriate.”

Governor Pulaali’i also addressed the strong criticism directed at him during the Senate hearing. 

Although he did not mention names, his comments clearly referred to Senator Muagututi‘a Tauoa, who accused the Governor of disrespecting the Fono, misusing public funds, and lacking cultural grounding as a matai. Muagututi‘a went as far as urging the public not to vote for the Governor again and calling for his removal.

The Governor said the remarks were deeply hurtful.

“What saddens me is some of these senators I revere as elderly chiefs of different districts, and I’m always fa‘aaloalo, always respectful to them,” he said. “During the tirade of a certain senator, I hoped others would say, ‘Nobody’s perfect — let’s not go too far out of hand.’

“This really hits deep in my family, people who love me, my family members, and the people of the Territory. This really was out of hand.”

BACKGROUND

Senators are reportedly not happy with Senator Muagututi‘a’s remarks made during the hearing that Gov. Pulaali’i is referencing. However, due to the senator’s standing as one of the oldest respected members of the Senate, a public reprimand or public apology was not sought.

In regards to the Seumanutafa letter, Chair of the Senate Government Operations Committee, Senator Togiola T.A. Tulafono, has said he received the letter requesting a postponement, but did not bother to reply, as the ASTCA CEO was not required to attend the hearing — they had wanted to hear from the Board, not the CEO. No request by the governor to the Senate president on the issue has been publicly acknowledged by the Senate President or his office.

Togiola also said at the same hearing that he believed the governor dismissed the ASTCA board to stop the members from testifying. This has now been confirmed by Gov. Pualaali’i on the Raynor Morning Show. The senator further noted that the former board members could still be called to testify about what they knew ‘while serving on the board’. 

A Senate hearing to examine ASTCA’s spending on the 250th Anniversary of U.S. Independence celebrations is expected to be held this week. It is unknown who exactly will testify, as Togiola has stated that they do not need to hear from the ASTCA CEO, only board members. It remains to be seen if two of the former members will appear to testify — Maota Alex Sene Jr. and Ella Gurr, alongside the new board members.