Fuiavailili K. Lafaele removed from ASGERF Board

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A member of the Board of Trustees of the American Samoa Government Employees Retirement Fund, who has been writing letters to the editor expressing concern about the financial status of the Fund, has been informed that he has been removed from the board.

Fuiavailili Keniseli Lafaele received an April 24 letter signed by the Acting Director of the Retirement Fund, Caroline Wendt, stating that as of that date, the Board of Directors had unanimously voted to remove him as a board member, effective immediately.

The letter said the decision follows “serious concerns regarding breaches of confidentiality, dissemination of misleading information, overstepping authority, and repeated disregard for board protocols and leadership.” It said these actions have eroded the board’s trust in Fuiavailili and impaired the board’s ability to function effectively.

Wendt’s letter to Fuiavailili was copied to Board Chairman Tuaolo Manaia Fruean, Vice Chairman Loa Tauapa’i Laupola, and board members Tony Togia’i and Toloa’i Ho Ching.

The letter comes a few days after Fuiavailili publicized, in what he said was his last Letter to the Editor, concerns about the impact on the pension fund of President Trump’s recent trade tariffs. He also said that since October 2024, the board has failed to convene a single meeting, despite clear requirements in the Fund’s by-laws and statutory mandates.

Fuiavailili said, “I have witnessed how politics, Samoan culture, and internal culture have influenced Fund operations since 2020, and even more so since joining the board in early 2022. One or two trustees alone cannot overcome the dominance of a chairman who serves as Senate President, aided by his legal counsel.”