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Guam - Former Assistant Secretary of Insular areas Tony Babauta says he did not cut a deal to resign while he was under investigation by the Department of Interior’s Inspector General. 

Babauta spoke for the first time in an exclusive K-57 Breakfast Show interview following the launch of the investigation into official travel and other conduct in October of last year.

HEAR Tony Babauta's interview with K-57 Breakfast Show Host Ray Gibson by clicking on the links below:

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Babauta says he spent 9 hours with IG agents on three separate occasions answering questions about official travel and other conduct.

The probe was launched after an anonymous tip.

Babauta says as the probe played out he was already considering his resignation. He said, “at some point in the process you have to realize what you are, for me I'm a political appointee and I do not want to embarrass the President or the White House.” 

Babauta says after the last set of interviews was conducted with Governoe Eddie Calvo and UOG President Robert Underwood, among others he felt the last thing to do was to resign.

Despite the resignation and speculation that he offered to resign in exchange for some kind of immunity, Babauta said he never felt he did anything wrong. As for questions over frequent travel and grants that his office awarded, Babauta says his attitude toward travel to these familiar places may have been misunderstood by those who were not aware that he already knew the issues of the insular areas, having worked on them for years and being a native son of Guam.

Babauta says he was humbled by the outpouring of support that he has received. Of the ordeal he says has never experienced, nor been a part of this sort of politics despite his many years in Washington.

 

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