by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Governor Eddie Calvo was one several individuals interviewed as part of the investigation into former assistant secretary for insular areas Tony Babauta. The governor's chief policy advisor Arthur Clark sat in on the interview with OIG and says the governor had an overall good working relationship with Babauta over the two and half year period.

Clark further addresses portions of the interview included in the report such as how Governor Calvo is quoted as saying he was worried by OIA's policy of not consulting with the governor's office on the awarding of grants to non-government organizations.

"This was an issue with the governor raised what he thought was a protocol question and the governor raised this issue directly to Mr. Babauta," he said, "so I don't think this is accurate to state this in terms of complaints to the OIG as much as the governor relayed it to OIA information of already of public record."

As for Babauta's official travel to Guam, the reports cites Governor Calvo as saying some of the trips to Guam had the appearance of political campaigns and decisions Babauta made sometimes had an adverse impact upon the Government of Guam.

"I'm almost 100 percent certain the governor said no, he never heard that, what he did say is hears Mr. Babauta has an interest in running but I'm almost certain that he did not say that he had any information was using these trips to position himself," he said.

Clark says after the interview OIG, he felt that federal tax dollars could have been better spent and was surprised some of the questions being asked would even warrant an investigation.