The Offices Of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense issued a statement in light of a program-specific audit by the FEMA, an investigative audit by the Guam Office of Public Accountability that found millions in unauthorized overtime.

The response comes after a legislative oversight hearing and Guam's Attorney General confirmed with KUAM that a criminal investigation is underway.

Officials note a corrective action plan has since been worked on, with a formal completion date accepted by FEMA of March 2025.

Guam Homeland added corrective actions identified are aggressively being implemented, even as revisions to the corrective action plan are ongoing.

Some of the corrective actions include, but are not limited to: Develop and implement budget monitoring procedures; develop timesheet templates and SOP, along with establishing a grant monitoring committee.

Guam Homeland Security Advisor Esther Aguigui said, “The Office of Public Accountability's findings highlight approximately $42 million in expenditures requiring additional documentation and review. As Homeland Security Advisor, I want to be clear: We take these findings seriously and acknowledge our responsibility to properly account for every dollar entrusted to our agency.”

She adds, “Moving forward, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of fiscal accountability while ensuring our ability to respond effectively to emergencies. The people of Guam deserve both rapid emergency response and proper stewardship of public funds – we are dedicated to delivering both.”