The person in charge of DataHouse Consulting Inc.’s operations in American Samoa, Saipai Cassens has told the Senate Select Investigative Committee that Medicaid Director Sandra King Young was not involved in the company’s decision to rent space from a building owned by King Young’s husband, Peter Young.
DataHouse Consulting Inc. is the Honolulu-based company that was awarded a $6.3 million contract in 2021 for the American Samoa Government Safe Travel Program, which was put in place to screen and approve travelers for repatriation flights during the COVID Pandemic.
The company designed and operated the Talofa Pass portal.
Cassens, whose official title is Account Executive, runs the DataHouse operations in the territory.
The SSIC is investigating the awarding of the contract to DataHouse in response to complaints from the public, and also some of the companies that bid for the contract.
Committee Chairman Senator Togiola Tulafono zeroed in on whether DataHouse was influenced by the Medicaid Director to rent space in the Young Building.
Play Audio
Cassens said Young’s Building was not their first preference. The Georgina Building in Fagaima was actually their first choice but there was no space.
They also looked at other buildings, but either they didn’t have enough space or needed maintenance.
The Young Building was new and up-to-date and had the amount of space DataHouse needed.
DataHouse currently has five employees but intends to hire 30 more local workers. The company is serving clients in San Diego, Hawaii and other places from their local office.
