Governor Lolo Moliga is reappointing Mitzie Jessop-Taase as Attorney General.
The House of Representatives voted a second time this week to reject Jessop Taase’s nomination as AG.
But the governor said in a memo reappointing Jessop-Taase, “Now more than ever we need leadership stability in the Office fo the Attorney General. The COVID-19 pandemic presents a threat we have never faced thus we must rely on the Attorney General to safely manage travel to and from our island to add a buffer between us and the outside world.”
He said, “Similarly as we mourn the tragic murder of a young mother by her husband, we must ensure the Attorney General is prepared to prosecute those in our community who pose a risk to our safety. We must have an Attorney General with the experience and foresight to do what is necessary to protect our citizens.”
The governor pointed to the dearth of local attorneys working for the government.
He said the territory has fever than 30 attorneys actively practicing and most of them have left public service for the private sector.
“In spite of the appeal of monetary rewards, sought by local attorneys, Ms Jessop-Taase has continued to serve our people as a dedicated public servant.”
Listing the nominee’s qualifications and experience Lolo said she has 23 yeas of experience practicing law locally and in the United States. She was deputy attorney general for seven years, served three years as senate counsel and two years as an assistant Public Defender
He complimented that in the short period Jessop-Taase has assumed the leadership reigns of the AG’s Office, the responses and decisions from that office have been “quick and robust.”
Additionally he said, “a change in leadership during the current State of Emergency would be devastating to our efforts to protect our people and territory of American Samoa.”
