Union rep says termination at Homeland Security, Civil Defense stems from Brennan's power grab

The Civil Service Commission wants to know who's in charge at Guam Homeland Security and the Office of Civil Defense.

It just released its latest order in the case of the termination of the former director of the emergency operations center.

Leo Espia argues he was fired for just doing his job.

Guam Federation of Teachers Union representative Robert Koss represents Espia, and suggests Espia is caught in the crossfire of a power dispute between Homeland Security adviser Samantha Brennan and Civil Defense Administrator Charles Esteves.

Espia's termination has to do with several backup computers he set up which contain sensitive data.

"It's clear Mr. Esteves is responsible for the supervision of employees," Koss said. "These computers were created under his direction and Mr. Esteves has been using them. This has been going on for years. this is not new.

Ms. Brennan stumbled onto these backup computers. In her mind, they were not authorized and it was a security breach I suppose, and she terminated Mr. Espia for creating these computers.

It's difficult to move forward because now the dispute has arisen. Mr. Esteves has contact the commission and said this is all wrong, put the guy back and I'm not authorizing Ms. Mrennan's action, in fact, I'm rescinding it. 

Brennan has refused to acknowledge Mr. Esteves as an agency head and seems to be grabbing for power. So she's now arguing that she is the controlling authority over at Homeland Security and Civil defense and it was her decision to terminate the employee and her decision should stand."

Meanwhile, the governor's office has established a new organizational chart which the Civil Service Commission wants more clarity on.

"And that organizational flowchart puts security adviser above the administrator for Civil Defense," Koss said. "But there's also an effective date on it there and it's very recent. and it's after the fact of the termination of Mr. Espia. 

End of the day I'm very confident Mr. Espia will get his position back at this time the people of Guam are accruing the financial liabilities associated with that. and the longer this strings out the more that gets to be."

Koss says Espia just wants his job back because he was just doing what his boss at the time told him to do.

A date for the next commission hearing has not yet been set.