Its been confirmed that lawmakers are receiving checks from COVID-19 funding.
The Senate President and Speaker of the House are getting checks of $20,000 and senators and representatives are receiving checks of $10,000.
Governor Lolo Moliga confirmed the Fono checks in a phone interview with KHJ News this morning.
He explained that the Fono had wanted to buy the Sadies by the Sea Hotel for their offices. He said the cost was way beyond the government’s reach.
Instead the Fono will lease one of the wings of the hotel for their offices.
The governor said the cost of the lease is $390,000 and the money given to the Fono members and leaders is to go towards the cost of the lease.
Lolo said the lawmakers need space to meet with their constituents and the hotel rooms will be a suitable venue for them to do their work outside of the Fono chambers.
The funding for the hotel lease comes from the $35.1 million COVID-19 funding that ASG received under the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security or CARES Act.
A statement from the Governor’s office at the time the funding was announced said CARES Act funding is specifically to cover costs incurred due to the public health emergency stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and cover costs not accounted for and incurred during the period from March 1 and ending on December 30, 2020.
The Fono has only one regular session left and incumbent senators and representatives serve until January 3,2021.
